The Space Between
by Katherine Cruz
Summary: Sequel to If Tomorrow Never Comes. Sonny/Carly centric cast story takes places one month after the events in If Tomorrow Never Comes. Reeling from tragedy and loss, the citizen of Port Charles attempt to rebuild their lives.
1. Chapter 1: Reprecussions

**Author's Note: **_Well, it took me long enough. LOL! Here's the sequel to If Tomorrow Never Comes. Only a few weeks have passed since our "family" was attacked. What are the repercussions of that? Will Carly ever wake up? How will Sonny go on without his anchor? Will Alexis (yes, I know we hate her but in this fic she is too cool and so not played by you know who lol) and Johnny admit their feelings? Will Lucky be able to help Gia heal? Will Luke seek revenge and at what cost? Will Zander and Emily find their way to each other? Will anyone discover Jason's evil plans? The answer to that and much more lies ahead. Buckle your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy sequel... _

**The Space Between**

_Chapter 1: Reprecussions_

Luke Spencer stared blankly at what remained of the restaurant he'd come to love so much. Luke shook his head a few times. The shock was still there. It seemed unreal that less than a month had passed since the attack that had devastated his family and friends. His son had almost lost the woman he loved. Tammy, his friend, had been killed and Mike was inconsolable. The number of injured still astounded him. And Carly... He pushed the thought of his niece out of his mind for the moment. She was never far from his mind most days but...

It was time to concentrate on getting his business back up and running. To bring some semblance of order to everyone lives. Once that was done, he could dedicate his time to finding the bastards that had hurt his niece. God help them when he did.

"Luke?"

All thoughts of revenge came to a halt as he heard that voice. " He turned to Laura. "Hello darling."

Laura hugged him quickly. "How are you holding up?" He'd been avoiding her calls. She knew he needed time to heal, to come to terms with what had happened. But she needed to see him. She felt his arms envelope her and smiled into his shoulder. After a minute, he pulled away, not looking at her.

"I'm hanging in there."

"And Sonny? I was at the hospital to see Carly today and the nurse told me Sonny had just left. It seems he's spends almost all his free time there." Laura recognized the look on Luke's face. It was defeat. "You think he's wasting his time, don't you?"

No response.

"She's a fighter Luke."

"I know that. But..." Luke sighed, rubbing his newly shaven head. He finally faced her. "I don't think she's coming back. God knows I hope I'm wrong about this like I am about everything else."

Laura smiled sadly at him. "You're not always wrong, Luke. However, this time I'm going to have to bet against you."

"I hope your right, sweetheart. For Michael sake. For all of our sakes but mostly for Sonny's. He's not even letting himself believe she won't make it. What if she doesn't Laura? I don't know how or even **if** Sonny could handle that." He recalled the emptiness in his friends' eyes since that fateful night. "I don't think he could at all."

"You got everything there, babe?"

Shari looked up from the bag on the bed and smiled at Juan. "I think so." She turned her attention to the task at hand. She needed to keep busy. Then, she wouldn't think about Tammy or Mike. Or Gia. Or Sonny and Carly...

The tears she was trying so hard to fight spilled over. She sniffled quietly, wiping at her cheeks, not wanting to let Juan know how much she was hurting. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she felt his arms circle her waist. She closed her eyes and leaned against him.

"It's okay, baby. It' going be okay." He kissed her temple softly, turning her in his arms to face him. "Come here." He hugged her tightly. "I know this is hard but I have faith. Everything will work out. And you know when I say something, it **so** is going to happen." He smiled at her muffled laugh.

Shari pulled back, looking up into his face. She felt the familiar stirrings of guilt. Juan was so good to her and she loved him so much it hurt at times. She hated keeping anything from him but she couldn't tell him...or anyone. Not yet.

"Hey?" Juan tipped her head up. "Are you all right?" He asked concerned.

Shari shrugged, distancing herself from him. "I'm better. Thanks to the best boyfriend a girl could have."

"Don't."

Shari looked up, startled at the sharp tone of Juan's voice. "What?"

"You always do that Shari. You keep shutting me out."

Her response was cut off by the sound of the front door opening. "Anyone here?"

Juan stared at her for a long moment before calling out to Lucky. "We're upstairs Lucky. Gia's room." He eyed Shari. "We're not done."

They heard Lucky's footsteps and turned to the door.

Shari felt more tears spring to her eyes at the sight of her friend. He looked...lifeless. "Lucky. How are you doing?" She asked, knowing how ridiculous that question was.

Lucky smiled cynically. "Well, aside from my cousin in a coma, her husband and my friend in an insurmountable amount of pain, and the woman I love hating my guts, everything's peachy-keen? You?" Seeing the hurt look on Shari's face, Lucky softened. "I'm sorry, Shari."

"It's okay. It was a stupid thing to ask."

"No. It wasn't. Don't let the fact that I'm a jerk make you feel bad. Thank you for the concern. It means a lot to me."

Juan came forward, squeezing his friend's shoulder lightly. "She doesn't hate you Luck."

"Oh yes, she does. I don't blame her."

"Lucky, it's not your fault that Gia's..." Juan choked on the rest of the sentence. It was still unbelievable to him.

"Say it Juan. That Gia's paralyzed." Lucky snapped. He ran his hands through his hair. "God, Gia's paralyzed." He sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. After a moment, he composed himself and looked up at his friends. "You should get going before visiting hours are over."

"Lucky...

"Just go."

Shari and Juan glanced at each other than back at Lucky. "Listen, why don't you come over to my place tonight?" Juan offered.

Lucky shook his head. "It's okay. I'll be fine. You guys go." He waited until they were at the door before calling out. "Can you tell her..." He stopped, thinking better of it.

"I'll let her know, Lucky." Juan stated quietly. The door closed behind them, leaving him alone in her room. He glanced around, smiling in spite of it all, as his eyes fell on the cloths strewn all over the floor. Lucky's eyes fell on her favorite pair of shoes and his smile fell. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. Tammy was supposed to be at Kelly's. Carly should be home with her husband and son. And Gia. Gia should have been with him.

Lying back, he closed his eyes, his mind going back to the day had Gia woken up. He had been so happy when she had fluttered her eyes open that he'd run down the hall, practically carrying Tony back to her room. Lucky hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of her the entire time. And when she'd smiled at him...

He laughed warmly at the memory. He'd been so happy for that instant. She's woken up and he believed that everything would work out. They would get a chance to finally be together. His smile fell, remembering the events that followed. Lucky wished to God he hadn't let Tony convince him to go home that night. Maybe he could have held on. Maybe if he had been... He rubbed hard at his face/..._Yeah...Maybe.../_

_//Lucky closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath, tightening his grip on the flowers in his hand before pushing the door open. His eyes fell to the woman lying on the bed. The soft light falling on her ebony hair and caramel skin. His heart skipped a beat like it always did when he looked at her. He sat down next to her bed drinking in the sight of her._

_Gia opened her eyes slowly, staring into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. She suppressed the need to smile at him. She stiffened her shoulders and stared hard at him. "What are you doing here?" _

_Lucky furrowed his brow, confused at her tone. "I wanted to see you. And I wanted to bring these." He held out the bouquet of yellow roses. _

_Gia ignored them, looking behind him at the window. "Leave."_

_Lucky's hand fell to his side. "What?" _

_She turned cold eyes toward him. "I want you to leave."_

_"Like hell." Lucky bit out angrily. "Why in God's name are acting like this Gia?" _

_"Oh, you haven't heard then?" She didn't wait for a response. "It seems that I have no feeling in the lower part of my body." She turned away from his shocked expression. "Yep. I can't walk. They don't know if I ever can again." _

_"When...how...?" Lucky stammered. _

_"They confirmed it this morning. I'm a cripple."_

_Lucky snapped out of his disbelief. "Don't say that." _

_"It's true." Gia glanced at him. "You can leave anytime. I won't stop you." She laughed bitterly. "Hell, I can't, can I?" She stiffened as he moved closer, closing her eyes briefly when she felt his hand on her head. After a long moment of silence, she tilted her head to look at him. _

_"I'm not going anywhere." _

_"I don't need your pity, Lucky." _

_"Good cause I don't pity you." He stroked her hair. "We can get through this together. You and me." _

_Gia held back the tears at his words. God she loved him so much. He deserved better than to be held down by her. Tony told her that she might never regain the use of her legs. She couldn't put Lucky through that. She had to make him leave. _

_Gia jerked her head away from his caress. "And what the hell makes you think I'd want anything to do with you? You're the reason this happened."// _

Lucky blinked back the tears, wiping at his eyes. He still didn't have a clear memory of what happened after that. All he remembered was Gia yelling at him to get the hell out of her room and her life. He remembered leaving the room and walking the halls aimlessly. Gia's words ringing in his head.

/ "_You're the reason this happened." /_

As much as he wished it weren't true, it was. He had brought her into his life. It was his family that had been targeted and Gia got caught in the crossfire.

/"_You're the reason this happened." /_

The guilt ate away at him slowly. This was his entire fault. He glanced at her room again. She wanted him out of her life. It was the least he owed her.

"You're a grown woman for Christ's sake. You can knock on his door. You've faced down ENTIRE courtrooms." Alexis Davis muttered. She adjusted her sling, raising her good hand and giving the door two quick raps.

Johnny O'Brien looked up from his desk at the sound of knocking. He stared at the door intently. He knew that knock. He's been avoiding this conversation for as long as he could but it was time to get it over with.

Gathering up his strength, he went to the door, pausing for a second before flinging it open.

"Ms. Davis."

Alexis stared at him mutely. It was so good to see him.

Johnny would have found it amusing to see Alexis Davis, Esq. speechless, if he hadn't been having a similar reaction. His fingers itched to touch her. He clenched his hands tightly. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Alexis pulled herself out of her trance, his polite, cool tone taking her by surprise. "I needed to talk to you."

Motioning for her to enter, he stepped back, making sure to keep his body as far from hers as possible. "What do you need to talk to me about?"

He watched her take in his apartment. He realized it was the first time she'd ever been inside. Johnny watched her, a ridiculous need for her to like it springing to life in him.

Alexis took in the dark green and burgundy colors, the masculine yet sophisticated line of the furniture, and the warmth that seemed to radiate from the room. She smiled sadly. "Carly helped you decorate it."

It was a statement not a question.

She met his astonished look, answering the question in his eyes. "It feels like Carly."

He nodded. "Yes it does."

She came to stand in front of him. "Why are you avoiding me?"

He swallowed past the lump in his throat. "I haven't been."

"Really? So you haven't received any of my messages?"

Johnny stepped back from Alexis, needing the room to think straight. "I got them but I've been a little distracted recently." He made a vague motion to his desk, which was piled with paperwork.

"I see."

He avoided her eyes. "Well, if that was all..." He turned his back to her, dismissing her.

"No, that wasn't all." Alexis asked, her voice tight with anger. "I want to know about us."

Johnny closed his eyes, preparing to do what he had to. He turned to look at her. "There is no us."

Marcus Taggert rubbed at his reddened eyes, pulling another sheaf of paper from the pile in front of him. He studied the suspect list of the attack. A long list of Sonny's "associates", former employees and enemies. It wasn't jiving for him. He knew there was a piece he was missing. Something so obvious that he was overlooking it.

"Taggert."

He glanced up at Mac Scorpio before turning his attention back to his desk. "What can I do for you Commissioner?"

"You can go home and sleep, Lieutenant."

Taggert glared at his superior. "I don't mean any disrespect, sir, but I'll leave when I'm damn good and ready." He reached for another file, slamming hard on the table. Mac leaned over his desk, placing his hand firmly on the file.

"I know this is hard, Taggert, but if you're going to be any good to us, we need you to be functional. Which means you need to eat and sleep. When was the last time you had a decent night's rest? If you're not at the hospital with Gia, you're here looking over these files."

Taggert wiped his head in frustration. "I can't just go home and do nothing. Mac, they attacked my sister. My sister."

"I understand that."

Taggert held his hand up. "It's not just that." He sighed, staring intently at the wall. "You know how I feel about Corinthos. But as much as I hate to admit-"

"You admire Carly." Mac finished the sentence. He smiled at Taggert surprised look. "Hey, I'm not blind, Taggert. Carly is a brave, strong, determined woman. She's crazy as all hell and she been he cause of a lot of headaches but her "take the bull by the horns" attitude is worthy of admiration. Of course I'll never admit to saying that."

"Ditto." Taggert replied.

They laughed the action strangely comforting to them. After a moment, they fell into an easy silence and Mac picked up Taggert's notebook, looking over the scribbles and thoughts. "You know, there's just something I can't place my finger on. Something that just beyond my reach."

Taggert nodded. "I know. It's the...tone of the attack if that makes sense. It was ruthless, perfected yet very-"

"Personal." A female voice replied.

Mac and Taggert glanced up to see Felicia approaching the desk. She smiled, pulling a file from her bag and plopping it on the table. "It was revenge. As cold and ruthless as it was there was rage behind the acts. And rage usually stems from real emotion." She studied Taggert's notes. "But you already knew that."

Mac shook his head. "No."

"I didn't ask."

"Well, good because the answer is no."

Taggert shifted his gaze from one to the other. He raised his hand cautiously." Sir? What are you prohibiting her from exactly?"

Felicia glared at Mac. "From helping. But he knows that's stupid because I'll just do it on my own if I have to."

Mac held back a growl. "Felicia..."

"It couldn't hurt sir."

Mac turned to Taggert, his eyes hardening."Don't encourage her, Lieutenant." He turned back to his ex-wife and halted when he saw the stubborn set of her jaw. She wasn't going to take no for an answer. He shook his head and sighed in defeat. He had a feeling this was going to get worse before it got any better.

Michael stared thoughtfully down at the drawing he was working on. He was going to have his Dad take it to his Mommy. Maybe the picture of them in the park would make her feel better and he could get to see her. Smiling at the idea, his chubby little fingers gripped the red crayon he held tighter. He rubbed on the paper hard and the crayon suddenly broke in half.

Michael held it up, his lip quivering as big fat tears rolled down his cheeks. A small hand waved a new crayon in front of his face and he looked up to see his cousin Lulu.

Lesley Lu smiled softly at him. "You can have mine, Michael."

Michael took the crayon and wiped his eyes. He didn't want anyone to think he was a baby. He was four years old. He was a big boy.

Lulu sat on the floor next to him, crossing her legs. She studied the picture carefully, trying to find a way to make her little cousin feel better. She was only six but she understood a lot more than the grown-ups wanted her too. And she knew Michael probably did too. She knew her cousin Caroline was hurt.

She liked Caroline. She was pretty and funny and she would always give her a big hug and candy when she visited Aunt Bobbie's house. She missed her a lot. She knew Michael missed her more because she was his Mommy.

"Can I help?"

Michael shrugged his shoulders but made room for her by his side so she could reach the drawing better. He looked at it again.

"I think it needs a doggie." Lulu suggested.

Michael smiled a little. "A doggie." He looked at Lulu. "Okay but I can't draw one. Can you?"

Lulu nodded and picked up a black crayon, tracing the shape of a dog. "It's my specialitity." Michael laughed at that and she smiled in return. They turned back to the drawing together and began the finishing touches.

"He's sleeping through the night now." Sonny spoke quietly to the still figure of his wife. "It's getting easier for him, I think." He watched her face for any change but there was none.

Sighing, he took the picture frame out of the bag he's brought and set it on the bedside table. It held a new picture of him and Michael. "He's wanted to see you but I thought it might be a little too confusing for him. He's a little young to understand it completely, you know?" Sonny smiled angrily. "Hell, I'm nine times his age and I still don't get it."

Sonny took a deep breath, rising from his chair and going to the window that overlooked the garden. Earlier that week, Tony had moved Carly to private room. She was physically out of danger. Her wounds had almost all healed. The black and blue marks on her face had faded to yellow and her arm was still encased in a cast but for all intents and purposes Carly was making a full recovery. Her ribs had healed well. Tony had been monitoring her lungs since the operation and they seemed to be holding up well despite his fears.

_/But you still won't wake up_./

Sonny surveyed the immaculate lawn and tears, watching the red and gold leaves turn gently in the cold air. Snow would be coming soon. He spoke suddenly into the quiet of the room.

"Why don't you want to come back, Caroline?"

Sonny turned back to the bed, walking slowly towards his wife. "What's keeping you inside your head?" He traced her wedding ring. "I know you can hear me. I don't know what's keeping you away but you need to fight. You need to fight for our family. You need to fight for us."

No movement. No response.

Sonny felt a sudden rush anger. "Damn it Carly! Snap out of it! You're stronger than this thing. I know you are!" He pushed away from the bed before he gave in and gave her a good shake. Rubbing his head gently, he stared at the wall. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired." He looked down at his watch. "I need to pick up, Michael."

He came round the bed, picking up his coat from the chair. After a slight hesitation, he leaned down to kiss her head. "I'll see you tomorrow." He stared at her for a moment then moved towards the door. It closed silently behind him.

The fading sunlight fell across the bed and glinted off her wedding band as Carly's hand began to move slowly...


	2. Chapter 2: Sacrifices

**The Space Between **

_Chapter 2: Sacrifices_

Gia decided she hated the morning.

It had never been her favorite time of day but she now felt this seething hatred for it. Her psychiatrist, she rolled her eyes behind closed lids, had spewed some stupidity about it being because morning symbolized life and she felt lifeless...blah blah blah.

Bunch of crock like Sonny would say.

She hated it for the simple fact, that when morning came, she had to open her eyes and face one more day without the ability to walk. It would be another day that Carly wasn't with them. And one more day where she had to pretend to hate Lucky.

So she lay in her hospital bed, eyes closed, putting off waking as long as possible. If she tried hard enough she could stay like that all day.

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Gia? Are you up?"

Damn. Emily.

Gia, resigned to her fate, faced the day. Opening her eyes slowly, she blinked repeatedly, ridding her eyes of the fogginess of sleep. She heard another soft knock and smiled in spite of herself. "Come in, Em."

Emily stuck her head around the door, smiling brightly at her. "Hello you." She strode through the door, arms full of bags. "I brought you entertainment."

"Yeah, I can see that." Gia sorted through the issues of _Cosmo _and _Vogue _that Emily dumped on her bed. "Did you clean out the B&N?"

Emily giggled, hopping onto the bed and dug through the pile until she found what she was looking for. She held up a copy of _Tempo_. "Look." She flipped to the music review section. "Check it out."

Gia glanced down at the page, a familiar name jumping up at her. "Oh my god."

"Yep." Emily smiled proudly.

"When did Juan's CD come out?" Gia asked, reading the small but positive paragraph about her friend.

"Last week." Emily smiled sadly. "He didn't really want to mention it. He thinks it's not important now."

Gia nodded. "I don't blame him, but it is a big deal. He should tell everyone." She closed the magazine, setting it aside to read later. "Carly would have made a big deal."

Emily looked away, focusing on the newly fallen snow on the trees. It was hard to believe that Christmas was just a few weeks away. "I think that's why he **doesn't **want to mention it. Sonny's been through a lot-"

"And something like this would give him joy for at least a second, Em."

Emily shrugged. "I suppose."

Gia studied her best friend closely. "Speaking of joy, how's Zander?" She noticed Emily draw into herself and suppressed a groan. When the heck were these two ever going to get it together? "What now?"

Nothing.

"Em?"

Emily finally met Gia's eyes and she was surprised to see tears shining in their depths. "He loves me." She clarified quickly.

Gia swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and wiped at her eyes. "Well, jeez. You gave me a heart attack. Of course he loves you." She watched as Emily bit her lip and glanced at her several times. "What Em?"

"Lucky loves you, too."

"He doesn't. He just feels responsible for me. That's all."

"Gia, you **know **that's not true."

She refused to agree or acknowledge what Emily was saying. It didn't matter anymore anyway. She and Lucky were over. She'd made sure of that.

_"You're the reason this happened." _

_Silence filled the room as the words echoed in the stillness. _

_It seemed that the air was leaving the room and he couldn't breathe. "Gia, I'm -"_

_"Sorry? What? Is that what you were going to say? Don't bother. I don't want or need to hear it." She didn't move an inch, afraid that if she did, her resolve would weaken, and she had to do this. For his sake. _

_"Why are you doing this?" _

_She forced her eyes to remain on the view outside. Gia knew if she looked into his eyes, if she saw the hurt there, she would never do what she needed to do. She'd spent all night since Tony had informed her of her paralysis thinking of how she was going to deal with not being the woman she once was. She knew Lucky deserved better than a crippled former blackmailer. _

_"Gia, baby. Talk to me." _

_Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes briefly, gathering all her strength and she stared directly into his face. "Why? I'm lying in this hospital because of you, and you want to know WHY I don't want to be with you? To see you?" _

_She threw the plastic carafe, startling him. "Get out!" _

_"Gia..." _

_"I never want to see you again. __**Do **__you understand that? You. You cost me my legs. I don't want to __**ever **__have anything to do with you, do you get that?" _

_Lucky was rooted to the spot. His brain screamed at him to go, but his heart, his heart told him she was lying. _

_Gia choked back a sob. He was being stubborn as always. _

_Well, Gia go for the gold. _

_She lifted her gaze to his eyes. "You are dead to me." _

"Why did you do it, Gia?" Emily asked softly. "Do you really believe that this is Lucky's fault?"

"God no." Gia sobbed. "No. I just couldn't let him see me this way."

"But he loves you, no matter what."

"I know that he cares-"

"No, Gia. He loves you. This is killing him."

Gia wiped at her cheeks roughly. "No. Being with me would have killed him a little every day. I didn't want him to go through that."

Emily squeezed her hand gently forcing Gia to look at her. "But that's not your choice to make, Gia. It's Lucky's."

"He's too noble. Too good. Too damn Lucky to do what would be best for him."

Emily sighed. "I want you to do me a favor and think about something, okay? Think about Sonny and Carly. Sonny's lost the person he loves most in this world. He doesn't know when she's coming back, if she ever will. If she were to come back, do you think for even one second he'd care whether or not she could walk?"

Gia shook her head. "It's not the same. Carly is the love of Sonny's life."

Emily smiled sadly. "And you are the love of Lucky's life. So why don't you do Carly proud and fight for what you want? Let him in, Gia, before it's too late."

Zander paused at the doorway, studying the back of Mike's head. He closed the door quietly, walking silently to the overstuffed chair by the window and laid a hand on Mike's shoulder.

"Hey."

Mike started. "Hey. You're home early." He tried to smile and failed miserably.

"Mike. You can be sad. It's okay. You loved her, we all did."

It had been only days since Tammy's funeral and Mike was barely sleeping or eating. The last time Zander had seen him like this was when he'd first met Mike. When Carly had dropped him straight in the middle of the craziness she called a life.

Zander closed his eyes against the sharp pain that brought him. He missed Carly so much. It was getting harder and harder every day to look at Sonny. He seemed to be retreating further and further into some dark place that no one but Michael could reach.

"Zander."

He turned to glance at Mike. "Yeah, pops?"

"How's Mikey doing?"

"He's doing well, I guess. With Carly in the hospital, he has a lot of questions, but Laura and Leticia have been great with him. He spends a lot of time with them and Lulu."

"And Michael?"

"As best as can be expected. He misses her."

"She is his reason for living."

Zander agreed silently. That simple statement said it all. Sonny was just functioning, holding on to some hope that Carly would come back to them. It seemed to apply for everyone else, too. Their lives had been at a standstill since that night.

Carly was what held them together. Without her, Zander wasn't sure what would happen to their family and he was scared. He'd lost a family once, and for some reason fate had sent him to Port Charles. He'd been lucky enough find love and friendship here.

"I should have known better."

Mike glanced over at Zander. "What did you say?"

Zander smiled sadly. "Nothing, pops. You eat yet?"

"No. I'm not hungry. Actually I'm a little tired so I'll just take a catnap." Mike patted Zander's shoulder as he passed him. Zander's eyes followed the older man until he'd disappeared into the other room and closed the door. Hearing the click of the lock, he sank into the chair, burying his face in his hands.

This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. They should all be gathered at Sonny and Carly penthouse trying to get out of helping Carly plan for Christmas. Sonny and Mike would be arguing over how to cook a Christmas goose or turkey or whatever. Luke would be going on about what a hassle holidays were. The gang would all be laughing and making jokes.

The knock on the door brought his head up and he wiped at his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he rose from the chair, going to the door. He pulled it open to see Nikolas on the other side.

"Hey, man."

"Hi Zander."

Zander moved aside to let Nik in. "What's up?"

Nik shrugged out of his coat, looking around the room slowly. "Where's Mike?"

"Getting some rest, or at least pretending to anyway. What brings you by?"

Nik glanced at him. "You."

"Me?"

Nik sighed. "I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing. I know how close you are to Sonny and Carly." Nik sat on the edge of the couch, staring out the window. "I see the pain everyone's in, and I don't know how to help. So I thought maybe if I could just, I don't know, be here to listen, I could be helping in some way."

Zander nodded, falling into the armchair. "I appreciate it, Nik."

"Okay. Then tell me truth. How **are **you doing?"

Zander shrugged, keeping his eyes firmly on the floor. "I don't know. It's been hard for everyone." He paused, meeting Nik's stare. "It hurts to watch Sonny in so much pain, Nik. To know that the only person that could help him is most likely gone." He tightly screwed his eyes shut, cutting off the tears. "Carly's gone."

Nik shuddered in a deep breath, guilt eating away at him. "I think it's my fault."

Nik had spoken so softly that Zander was unsure he'd heard correctly. "What?"

"I said it was my fault."

"How the hell you figure that?"

Nik stood abruptly, standing at the window that overlooked Cortland Street. He'd had these suspicions running around in his head for weeks. "I think my Grandmother had something to do with what happened." He glanced at Zander. "And I need your help to prove it."

"Madam."

Helena raised her head to glare at her servant. "Yes?" She tapped her nails impatiently against the table. She hated to wait and he'd kept her doing just that for over an hour. She was going to make sure he remembered who was in charge.

"He has arrived."

Her fingers stopped their drumming. "Very well. Send him in." She glanced at her reflection in the mirror across the room, smoothing her hair into place. The door opened and she smiled widely. "You're late."

Jason surveyed the room before meeting her eyes. "Get over it." He stood staring at her. "What do you want from me, Helena?"

Helena eyes him coquettishly. "I want many things from you, darling. But just for now, I want to know what you're planning on doing to finish off your precious Caroline and the rest of those insufferable peasants she calls family."

Jason's smile was brittle. "Leave the Spencers to me."

He rubbed at the throbbing in his temples, taking a sip from the glass he held. The bourbon burned his throat, numbing the pain in his head some. His gaze fell on the half-empty bottle on the bar. It would take a lot more than that to help him forget for the night.

Johnny stepped through the door, pausing slightly as he took in Sonny's state. You could feel the pain radiating from him. "Sonny."

Sonny turned to look at his right hand man. "What do you need Johnny?" Sonny rose, heading to the bar to refresh his drink.

Johnny held in a sigh. It was useless to try to stop him from drinking. He needed to escape to something. Johnny made a mental note to tell Graciella to water down the alcohol. Waving the folder in his hands, he answered Sonny. "We have a problem."

He handed the folder to Sonny. "Someone's been making inquiries into buying Pier 52."

Sonny read the report carefully. Two attempts had been made to buy the Pier from the Morales family. "Did you speak with Eduardo?"

"Yes. He says that you had discussed the possibility of buying the Pier from him before. Anyway, he turned down both offers."

Sonny nodded. "Make him an offer."

"That's not the end of it, Sonny." He waited until he had Sonny's full attention. "After he declined to accept the second offer, one of Mr. Morales' shipments was destroyed. It was ruled an accidental fire, but he doesn't buy it. Neither do I."

"A warning."

"That's what we think. Morales wants to talk with you at your convenience." Johnny eyed Sonny apologetically. "This isn't something I can take care of, Sonny."

Sonny rubbed his neck, trying to ease the tension away. He wasn't in a frame of mind to make decisions that affected his business. All he could think of was Carly. All he wanted was his wife. He walked to window that looked out at his warehouse. He could make out workers unloading some shipments. He knew that people were counting on him and Carly would be the first to tell him to do whatever he needed to do.

"Set it up."

Johnny nodded, staring at Sonny's rigid back. "When?"

"As soon as possible." Sonny sipped his drink, his eyes never leaving the window. He heard Johnny heading to the door. "I need you to do something else for me, Johnny."

Johnny paused, his hand on the doorknob. He waited silently.

Sonny finally turned to look at him. "I need you to find Jason." Sonny rubbed his forehead with his palm. "With everything that's happened I forgot to get word to him about Carly. He would want to know."

Johnny smiled slightly. He knew that Jason would run home the minute he found out. "It's already being taken care of, Sonny. I got Benny looking for him. We'll find him."

Johnny jumped when the door burst open and Michael came hurtling into the room. Michael stopped abruptly, not expecting his Daddy to be home. "Daddy!" He ran into his father's open arms, backpack thrown to the floor without a thought, almost ramming into Johnny on the way. Johnny moved slightly, smiling as he watched Sonny and Michael. This was the only time Sonny was anything like himself. "Hey there, my man." Johnny gave Michael a high-five. "How's it going, buddy?"

"Hi Johnny! We made cards in school today!"

"That's awesome, buddy."

"Hey, " Sonny spoke cheerfully, "Why don't you go get the card so I can see it?"

"Okay!"

"Okay!" Sonny let his son down and watched him as he picked up his backpack and headed toward the couch. He turned back to Johnny, ignoring the sad look in his friend's eyes. He didn't want anyone's pity. "Do what we talked about as soon as you can."

Johnny nodded. "I'm on it." He made his way out, waving a good-bye to Michael. Reaching the door, he glanced at Sonny who stood at the window. He seemed to take a deep breath, his shoulders straightening before he started to walk toward his son. Shaking his head and praying that it all worked out, Johnny left father and son alone.

Michael sat on the couch, seeing his Uncle Johnny from the corner of his eye. Uncle Johnny was always watching his Daddy with that look on his face. He shoved papers and books around inside his pack, looking for the pink paper.

"You found it yet, buddy?" He heard his Daddy ask as he sat down next to him.

"I think so." He pulled the now wrinkled paper out from the bottom of his pack and with a grin handed it to his father. It was a picture of him, his Mommy, and his Daddy in front of a big Christmas tree. "Here."

Michael's smile fell when he saw the sad look on Sonny's face. "Daddy?"

Sonny tried to respond, but his mind stayed on the drawing. His eyes fixed on the stick figure with the blonde hair. Carly loved Christmas. It was her favorite holiday. He remembered when he first returned to Port Charles how she had the penthouse decked out for the holidays. Sonny glanced around the bare, cold room. Christmas was only a few days away.

"Daddy? Did I do something wrong?"

His son's teary voice shook him out of his stupor and he looked at Michael, seeing the tears in his eyes. "No, Mr. Man. You didn't do anything wrong. Daddy is just having a hard day." He hugged his son to his side. "I just miss your Momma a lot."

Michael snuggled into Sonny. "Me too. But she'll be back soon."

Surprised at Michael confident declaration, Sonny stared at the four-year-old. "How do you know that, buddy?"

"Cause she promised, Daddy."

Sonny patted Michael's head softly. "Momma is still pretty sick, Mike." He didn't want Michael's little heart to break. "She needs time to get better."

Michael stared up at his Daddy. "She promised, Daddy, and Mommy always keeps her promises. She said we would have a great Christmas, 'member?"

Sonny smiled warmly, remembering that conversation she'd had with them all. How they all would have to pitch in and make it a perfect Christmas. She'd warned Luke about not showing up and breaking Lulu's heart, and had threatened Sonny and Johnny with pain if the Business interrupted them on Christmas.

The kids referred to her as the Christmas Nazi after that. Sonny chuckled, the sound taking him and Michael by surprise. He glanced down at his son whose smile was a mile wide now. "You know what, buddy?" He took Michael's hand as he picked up their coats. "Your Momma said she wanted a perfect Christmas, so we're going to do that for her. Come on."

"Barbara Jean."

Bobbie glanced away from the doorway toward Luke then back again. Tony had asked her to stay out of his way while they monitored Carly's vital signs. Bobbie felt tears and blinked them away. She needed to be strong for Lucas, for Michael and Sonny and most of all for Carly."

She felt Luke's hands on her shoulder. "Hey there baby."

"Hey." She placed her hands over his. "They're checking her out."

Luke nodded his eyes on his niece. "I can see that. Listen Barbara Jean, why don't you and I go out for a walk. It'll do you some good."

"I don't want to leave her."

"Sweetheart, you need to take care of yourself. You know, Caroline wouldn't want you to hurt this way, Barbara." He smoothed his hand down her hair and bent down to whisper in her ear. "You don't need to be strong all the time, little sister."

Bobbie nodded, sniffing as she and Luke walked away from Carly's room.

Tony checked his watch, his other hand feeling for Carly's pulse. He placed her hand at her side, catching the gleam of the wedding ring she wore. Sonny had put it back on her hand as soon as he was allowed.

It still astounded him how much Sonny seemed to love this woman that he himself had loathed at one time. Looking at her now, he couldn't remember how all the hate and pain they'd caused each other had started. It didn't even matter anymore. All he wanted and hoped for was that the sister his son loved so dearly would come back.

Sighing, he looked over at Amy, who was fiddling with the IV. "She seems to be stable."

Amy nodded, smoothing out the blanket that covered Carly. "She does." She glanced at him quickly then back at Carly. "Tony?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think Carly will ever wake up?" She and this girl had never seen eye to eye. Hell, on a good day they hated each other. But the world seemed so off without Carly in it. Amy may have despised her but Carly made many people happy.

Tony rubbed his neck. "I don't know, Amy. Carly's vitals are all normal. The swelling in her head has gone down substantially. Her body is healing rapidly. There's nothing that would indicate her state." He met Amy's eyes. "From what I can see, for whatever reason, Carly simply doesn't** want **to wake up."

He touched the warm hand and squeezed, hoping that wherever Carly was she could feel everyone's concern and love. He motioned to Amy and they left, closing the door behind them.

The light filtering through the window fell on Carly's prone body. Rapid beeping filled the silence in the room, the heart monitor machine picking up speed. The woman on the bed moved her head slightly, her hand twitching at her side. The beeping intensified and it seemed as if the air in the room grew heavier.

Carly opened her eyes abruptly...


	3. Chapter 3: Making Strides

**The Space Between**

_Chapter 3: Making Strides_

Harborview Towers

Zander pushed his head away from the wall, the doors to the elevator sliding open, pausing slightly before stepping off and sluggishly heading toward the penthouse. Tired from dealing with Mike, sadness weighing down his heart, he just wanted to reach his bed and sleep. He frowned at the lack of a guard, glancing quickly across the hall to Alexis' door.

No guard there either.

He paused again at the door, his hand flexing on the handle. He hoped Sonny knew that the guards were gone. Zander wasn't sure if he had the strength to face Sonny. It was becoming harder and harder to look at the pain in his eyes. He sighed heavily, opening the door. He glanced up at once and froze.

He stared, blinking rapidly, mouth gaping open.

Closing his eyes, he took a step back out in the hall, leaving the door slightly closed, he gave his head a shake. Taking a deep breath, he stepped back inside.

_No, still the same._

"Well, I'll be damned." Zander chuckled, his eyes roaming over the room that was practically doused in red and green, taking in the bows decorating the staircase, the candles lit everywhere and his gaze finally falling on the huge unlit Christmas tree that stood in the corner near the fireplace.

"Isn't it pretty?" Emily exclaimed, slipping her hands around his waist. She'd come out of the kitchen to see a befuddled Zander gaping at the room.

"Did you-"

"Nope. All Sonny."

"Shut up." He punched her shoulder playfully, his eyes still taking in the details. Sonny had built a fire that enveloped the room in a soft yellow glow. It felt warm and comfortable. Like home should feel. Like it hadn't felt since Carly had been attacked.

She laughed. "Swear. I practically fell over dead when I found him and Michael shopping for the tree. After I talked Grandfather into getting the tree I wanted, I sent him home with Reggie and joined Sonny and Mikey." She came up behind him, her chin resting in the crook of his shoulder. "This could be a good sign, babe."

Zander nodded, still in shock. "Yeah." He pulled her to him, kissing her lips softly. He wasn't too sure if that was true, but he wasn't going to be the one to dash her hopes. And at least Sonny was trying. "It could be a real good sign."

"Hey. No kissing."

Zander and Emily laughed as they watched Michael come out of the kitchen, a plate of cookies in his hands. Sonny followed closely, a small smile on his face. "Yeah. What he said."

Michael set the plate on the table. "You guys are like Momma and Daddy. Always kissing. Blech."

Zander saw Sonny's back stiffen slightly, then relax. He knew it was taking everything Sonny had to try to make this situation work. Lord knew that Carly would be proud of her husband. He was doing exceptionally well, considering. Hell, he'd even gone ahead with the celebration plans for Christmas because he knew how much Carly had been looking forward to them.

Emily's head leaned on his shoulder again as they both observed father and son interacting. "He's faking it real well, isn't he?"

"Way too well."

Emily eyed Sonny sadly. "You think he's going to break soon, don't you?"

"No, I'm worried that he won't. He's bottling it up. What if he keeps holding it all in until it smothers what life he has left inside?" He looked over at Emily. "He can't function without her, Em. Not for long."

Before she could answer, Sonny interjected.

"Okay, kiddos. Who wants to help finish stringing the lights?" He asked, blatantly looking at Zander. "And who wants to finish the popcorn string thing-a-mi-jiggies?" He smiled at them, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Oh, well, seeing as you were oh so subtle in your hints, I think I should string the lights. Em?"

"Yes, and I believe Michael and I should do the, uh… string thing-a-mi-jiggies."

Zander and Emily grinned at Sonny's scowl before moving to join the father and son by the tree. Zander patted Sonny's shoulder. "Thank you, Son."

He looked away, not wanting to see the sadness that seemed to reside in Sonny's eyes since...

He glanced at Sonny's profile, swallowing past the lump in his throat. Sonny needed Carly. Zander closed his eyes, praying to a god that he wasn't quite sure he believed in that this man, the man that had treated him like a son, would find the strength to survive without his love.

Because God only knew how long Carly would be lost to them...God only knew...

General Hospital

She opened her eyes abruptly, feeling as though she was waking from a nightmare, conscious of her heart pounding and the sound of her harsh breathing in the otherwise silent room. She couldn't remember the dream, but her sweat-drenched body and runaway pulse told her it had been a bad one. She closed her eyes for several minutes, forcing herself to calm down.

Her breathing evened and heart rate slowed down.

Okay. Okay. That was better. A lot better.

She hated feeling afraid.

She opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. As she became more aware, she realized something was different. She turned her head slowly to look around the room.

It wasn't her room.

Her senses began to awaken, and she heard the sound of muffled voices, distant sounds of activity that lay beyond the door. She smelled medicine and starch, the odor of sickness, machines and people. She noticed the hospital bed she was lying in and the IV attached to her arm. She was in the hospital.

Why?

With a surprising amount of effort she raised her head, a sudden wave of nausea overcoming her and she swallowed hard. But she forced herself to look, to make sure she was still all there.

Both arms. One in a cast. Both legs. Her feet moved when she willed them to. Not paralyzed then. That was good.

She lifted the arm that wasn't in a cast to look at her hand. It was small, not childlike, but weak, almost fragile. She turned it slowly, staring at the pads of her fingers. They wiggled when she moved them at will. More than just a bit afraid, she reached up to touch her face. The bones seemed prominent to her probing fingers, her skin smooth and soft. She paused when she felt the gauze at the edge of her temple. Reaching further up, she realized that her head seemed to be wrapped in a bandage. She pulled at the hair that was peeking out from under it, taking an oily strand in her hand. It was blonde with a slight wave.

Now, why did that surprise her?

For the first time since awakening, she let herself deal with what had been crawling in her mind, a cold and growing fear. She laid still now, fists clenched at her sides, staring at the ceiling hard, as if the answers she was seeking would appear there.

Why was she here? What was wrong with her?

_And why can't I remember..._

"Oh my God."

Quinn stood in the doorway, eyes wide with surprise. She took a step into the room, moving slowly. When Carly's eyes met hers, she shook her head, falling into some semblance of professionalism. "You're awake." She said brightly, a bit nervously. "We were starting to worry about you there, Ca - Mrs. Corinthos."

_Corinthos._

"I'll go get Dr. Jones." Quinn shut the door, leaning against it for a moment, before sprinting down the hall.

She waited, not thinking about the fact that she hadn't known her last name, still didn't know her first one. It seemed that she waited forever, while her mind spun with fear and frustration, before the doctor appeared. He was tall, on the heavier side, with graying hair, and a rough but kind face.

"So, you finally grace us with your presence." His voice was warm, his smile almost teasing. She caught a flash of something in his eyes as he approached her bed. He grasped her wrist lightly, beginning the process of checking her vitals. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Corinthos." She fumbled with the word.

He didn't seem surprised. The nurse had probably mentioned to her that she'd given away her last name. "How about your first name?"

She didn't respond for a moment, swallowing her fear.

"No. No, I can't remember."

"Do you know what year it is?"

She concentrated, frowning as she tried to grasp at something, anything. Her mind was cluttered, but not with memories. Fear, anxieties, and worries clouded her brain. She shook her head, a tear spilling from under her closed lashes.

"I don't know."

"That's not surprising following a traumatic event such as you had. Your head was injured severely. Amnesia occasionally happens in such events. Now that you're awake, your memories will hopefully start returning."

"Hopefully?"

He directed his serious gaze at her. "I want to be upfront because I know you'd want nothing more. You suffered serious injuries. Your body **and** mind need time to recover."

She stared at him, asking quietly. "You know me?"

He smiled gently. "You could say that." He patted her hand soothingly. "My name is Dr. Jones, Tony Jones. **You** are Caroline Corinthos. Everyone calls you Carly."

"Carly..."

It didn't ring any bells.

"What happened to me, Dr. Jones?"

Carly noticed a slight hesitation as Tony answered. "You were injured in an attack, Carly. You've been in a coma for over a month."

She closed her eyes. "Oh god." She felt Tony's hand on her shoulder.

"I need to inform Sonny, so I'm going to-"

"Who's Sonny?" Carly kept her eyes closed as she asked, trying desperately to conjure an image to the name.

Tony paused, needing to remind himself she didn't know. He reached over and raised her encased arm. Carly's eyes snapped open at the action, looking at Tony holding her fingers that were visible. He lifted one gently; the light glinted on the gold band.

"Your husband, Carly. Sonny is your husband."

Nik's Cottage

"You're cheating." Nikolas pointed an accusing finger at Juan.

"Am not. You just suck at Gin Rummy, Nik. Babe, tell him the truth."

Shari glanced up from her book. "He'd never cheat." Juan sent Nikolas a smug grin, oblivious to Shari, who nodded her head quickly, mouthing 'He's cheating' over his head to Nikolas.

"See?" Juan still grinned triumphantly. "I gots skills."

"Yeah, you know what? You can take those skills and shove the-" Nikolas was cut off by the ringing of his cell phone. Reaching behind him to his suit jacket, he answered it, sending Juan an evil look. "Hello? This is Nikolas Cassadine." He swatted at the paper balls Juan was throwing at him, grinning at his friend. His smile and hand fell, one of the balls hitting him directly in the face.

Juan stood as Nikolas blinked rapidly and then slowly turned toward his friend. "Are you sure?" Nikolas face contorted in anger. "Don't think! I want a definite!"

Shari froze in her chair, scared at what could possible have caused the usually calm prince to react so strongly. She could only think of two things, and both were too frightening to voice out loud.

Nikolas wiped at his eyes. "Thank you." He snapped his phone shut, looking at them intently. "It's Carly...

Kelly's Diner

Bobbie Spencer cleared the last of the lunch plates off the counter. Elizabeth had taken a few days off, something about her parents. Penny had come down with flu. So all that left were Bobbie and Lucas, who had volunteered to help. She watched her son clear one of the tables, frowning over the tip. Bobbie hadn't really paid attention to him lately and she felt the guilt eat at her. She needed to make it up to him. Her mind lately was always filled with worries for Carly. Bobbie knew Lucas understood that, but the guilt was still there.

Not just guilt regarding Lucas… also Carly. She should have been at the hospital with her daughter making sure that she was being taken care of. She hadn't been there for her most of her life, and now Carly needed her mother more than ever. Bobbie felt her head throb and she sighed, rubbing her forehead at the spot where the headache had formed. She knew that if she ever wanted to see Sonny try to function, she had to show him by example that staying constantly by Carly's side wasn't helping anyone. So she worked her shifts, took care of the restaurant, and watched her son-in-law closely.

Sonny was barely holding on without Carly. She had to constantly remind him to eat and get some rest, which showed how far into depression he was falling. When Mr. Control Freak, as Carly called him, wasn't taking care of himself, it wasn't a good sign.

She glanced at her watch quickly. If she hurried, she could visit Carly for a few minutes before heading to Sonny's. She smiled, remembering the vague message he'd left on her voicemail. Something about not wanting to tick off the Christmas Nazi.

_Whatever that means. _

Stefan Cassadine paused at Kelly's entrance, glancing first at Lucas and then Bobbie. He watched intently as she wiped at the counter, her auburn hair falling softly to her shoulder. It still surprised him at times how beautiful she was. How strong and caring. His stomach knotted like it always did when he let himself think of her. He shook his head. He'd come here for her.

"Barbara Jean."

Bobbie's head snapped to attention, her heart skipping a beat as it usually did when she heard his voice. "Stefan." She stopped, noticing anxiety sketched on his usually stony face. Something flickered in his eyes. She could have sworn it was excitement and... happiness? "What are you doing here?"

Lucas glanced between the two, keeping silent for the most part. He knew how his mother and ex-stepfather felt about each other, even if **they **didn't. Besides, it wasn't his place to pry. They were adults and they needed to figure it out for themselves. He turned away, determined to ignore the conversation, but Stefan's' next words made him come to attention, his breath catching in his throat.

"I'm here about Caroline, Barbara."

Harborview Towers

"Did you steal Christmas from the Who's, Sonny?" Luke bellowed, as he surveyed the decorated penthouse. Carly would have been proud.

Sonny glanced down from his spot on the ladder, where he stood straightening the star. "I think you're getting confused, old man. The only Grinch around here is you."

Luke punched a fist to his chest, stumbling a few steps and falling gently on the couch, smothering a laughing Emily and Michael. "That was cold, Corinthos. I think you've been hanging around..." He cut off his next words having caught the sharp look Zander sent him.

Sonny didn't need Luke to finish the sentence. Ignoring the ache that thoughts of Carly brought, he concentrated on keeping his balance and perfecting the angle of the star. He thought of the beautifully wrapped ceramic angel that sat wrapped in a box in the hallway closet. He'd bought that for Carly, imagining her eyes lighting up at the sight of it. He could almost hear her soft 'Thank you' and warm lips...

"Okay. What do you all think?" He asked the small group, focusing his mind on other tasks.

Luke angled his head back and studied the tree. "Eh. Not bad."

Emily punched him lightly. "Not bad? Sonny, it looks beautiful."

"Yeah, Daddy. It's really cool." Michael called from his father's desk, where he now sat observing Zander assemble his train set.

"Cool, huh?" Sonny climbed down, walking to his son and taking in the scene from there.

Zander stopped what he was doing for a moment, glancing at Sonny's work. "It looks awesome, Son."

Sonny smiled genuinely. "It does look pretty good."

The door to the penthouse burst open causing those in the room to jump. Johnny halted in his tracks, shocked. He looked around him, shaking his head clear and turned to Sonny.

"We need to get you to the hospital. Now."

Sonny's heart stopped, millions of thoughts and fears flooding his head.

Carly had a set back. Someone had tried to hurt her there. The doctors had more bad news.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked.

Johnny's eyes never left Sonny's.

"She's awake."

Emily gasped, her hand reaching out to grasp Luke's shoulder. Zander stood up slowly, his eyes on Johnny. Michael clapped loudly. He'd known his Mommy wouldn't miss Christmas.

"What did you say?" Sonny choked out, too afraid to believe.

"Carly's awake, Sonny. She came back to you, man. She came back."


	4. Chapter 4: Everything Changes

**The Space Between **

_Chapter 4: Everything Changes_

There were days when being an officer of the law was worth everything. The headaches of paperwork and red tape. When you returned a child to their parents it almost made up for those images of violence and blood that never quite left your mind. The pride you felt at solving a case could balm the pain of all those times you let the evils of the world slip through your fingers. Made those scars that never quite heal less painful.

Taggert lived for those days. And today... wasn't one of them.

Rubbing his head hard and choking back a curse, he dropped the case file on his desk. Carly Corinthos' picture stared up at him. He knew Mac was becoming worried about his obsession with the case and he'd even overheard some rookies commenting on it. But he couldn't, for whatever reason, get over the fact that some psycho had gunned down Carly.

It still made no sense no matter how many times he went over it alone or with Mac and Felicia. It had been weeks and they had no leads. It was a dead end. His brain told him that, but his gut...

"Lieutenant Taggert?"

Taggert glanced up at the officer across the room. "Yeah?"

"Phone, sir. Line one. It's from General Hospital."

He grabbed the receiver off his desk phone immediately. "This is Lieutenant Taggert."

"Marcus?"

"Gia, baby, what's wrong?" He rose, slipping into his jacket and reaching for his keys. "Are you okay? Do you need me to come over? I'll be right there."

"Marcus. Wait. I'm fine. That's not why I'm calling."

Taggert paused, confused. "What is it?"

"Carly woke up, Marcus."

Taggert breathed in deeply, searching the room for Mac. He needed to let him know. "Are you sure, Gia?"

"Yeah. One of the nurses told me. I just thought you should know."

"Thank you, baby. I'll be there real soon. Bye."

The line went dead before Gia could respond, and she smiled, rolling her eyes. Her brother. Always wanting to do the right thing. No matter how hopeless it was. She sighed, pushing down the flash button. The dial tone was loud in her ear. She took a deep breath and mentally kicked herself into gear.

It rang once.

What exactly am I going to say? Hey there, Lucky...

Twice.

Remember me? The girl that broke your heart.

Three times.

I'll just tell him about Carly and leave it at that.

Gia frowned as the phone rang a fourth and fifth time. It wasn't like Lucky not to answer his cell phone. Not to mention that his voicemail wasn't activated. She hung up and dialed Kelly's. It had just recently reopened and he was probably helping out.

"Kelly's." A deep voice answered and for a moment Gia's heart stopped before registering that it wasn't Lucky's voice. It was most likely Lucas.

"Um...hi Lucas?"

There was a pause. "Yeah?"

"Hey, this is Gia. I was wondering if your Mom was around."

"She just went down to the hospital, Gia. Carly woke up."

"Oh good." Gia smiled into the phone. "So everyone knows."

"Yeah. Mom called Uncle Luke and Laura from here. They're all headed that way. I'm going to be there as soon as I finish closing."

He hadn't mentioned Lucky. She guessed in their excitement they'd probably forgotten to get in touch with him, though that was odd. Gia's eyes flew to the door as it opened and Nik, Shari and Juan entered. "Lucas, did anyone tell Lucky? I know he would want to know right away."

"Ah...Gia, Lucky's gone."

Her hand gripped the phone tightly. "What?"

She saw Nikolas' brief glance at Juan, caught the guilty look that passed between the two.

"I'm sorry I thought you knew. He left a couple of days ago. We don't know where he went."

"Oh. Okay. Well, listen, tell Bobbie I'm happy about Carly. Bye." She placed the receiver back onto the stand and turned to look at her friends. Shari sent her a sad smile before looking away. Juan avoided her face altogether.

Gia's gaze settled on Nik's. She held out her hand. "Give it to me."

Nik shook his head slightly while reaching inside his jacket. He pulled out an envelope with Gia's name scribbled hastily on it. He patted it twice, his eyes steady on hers. " I want to say one thing, Gia. You gave him no choice." He threw it down on the bed, nodding to his friends as he walked out. "I'll be upstairs checking on Carly."

He closed the door feeling Gia's hurt stare boring into his back.

Stepping off the elevator took more courage than he'd thought. He nodded at Joseph once before turning to the other penthouse door. The one he hardly glanced at, let alone knocked on. He was aware that he could have called or sent one of the men but he needed to be there when she found out. To see the light in her eyes at the good news.

Johnny breathed deeply, raising his hand and knocking three times. If she wasn't in, he would leave a note. Or he'd go find her. That worked too.

The door flew open and he met Alexis' surprised stare. His voice stuck in his throat and he stared blankly back.

"Johnny. How can I help you?" Alexis asked, coldly. After their last conversation, she had no interest in talking to him. Is that why you can't catch your breath, Alexis...

Johnny frowned at the tone unsure as to why she was using it and how he should proceed now. Before he could form a sentence, he glanced past her shoulder to see Ned standing shirtless by the couch. Anger blinded him. He knew he had no rights to her. That she and Ned had a history and commitment. But knowing that didn't diminish the jealous rage that swept over his senses.

Keep it together, Johnny.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Ms. Davis. I can see you're very busy," Johnny sneered, ignoring the warning in the eyes that now glared at him. "But I thought you would like to know that Carly is awake."

Alexis bit down the harsh retort about to spill from her lips. She held onto the door as her knees almost gave out. "Are you serious?"

Johnny clamped his hands tightly to his side, tamping down the urge to hold her to him in relief. He wouldn't give in. Seeing Ned move closer to them, he knew he couldn't. Taking a step away from the door, he nodded in assent. "Yes, I am. I'm headed to the hospital now. I just thought you'd want to know." Not waiting for a response, he turned away.

Alexis stepped forward, his name on her lips, when she felt warm hands on her shoulder holding her in place. She glanced back at Ned. "I wasn't expecting that."

Ned shook his head. "I don't think any of us were." Ned studied her face. "Hey, this good news, right?"

"Of course!" Alexis replied, gently removing his hands. "I think I need to go down to the hospital. I know how you feel but-"

"It's okay." Ned held his hand up. "I understand. Go on. I'll wait here if you want."

Alexis nodded, kissing him on the cheek, and headed up to her room to change.

Ned stood at the foot of the stairs staring after her.

Something was off about Alexis lately. The closer they got to the wedding, the more he felt her slip away. He'd felt it for a long while, but every time he broached the subject with her she brushed away his doubts. Told him it was just nerves and work.

It seemed to have worsened after that insane night that had left them all so shocked. She'd almost cried with relief when he told her he was postponing the wedding until things had calmed down some.

And now she barely wants to talk about a new date...

A knock at the door pulled Ned away from his thoughts and he walked to the door, pulling it open, his face lighting up. "Chloe."

"Ned." Chloe leaned forward, kissing his cheek. She walked into the penthouse, scanning the room for Alexis. "What's going on?"

"You haven't heard yet?"

"Heard what?" Chloe dropped her bag on the desk, her expression concerned. Ned smiled at her. Chloe always worried about everyone around. He loved that about her.

"Carly's awake."

Chloe's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes filling up with tears. "That's wonderful news, Ned."

"It is."

"I'm so happy to hear that. I was so worried for Carly, Sonny, and everyone. Alexis must be so relieved. She's been in a lot of pain since that horrible night."

Ned nodded, looking at the stairs again. "She seemed...really affected by the news."

"Of course." Chloe frowned, studying Ned. "Is everything okay with you and Alexis, Ned?"

Ned shrugged, moving away from the stairs. "Is it ever?" He smiled sadly at his friend, taking the hand she offered. "I feel her slipping away, Chloe, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it."

Noise that could only be produced by members of his family flowed from the swinging doors of the waiting area the on-duty nurse had directed him to. Lucas shifted the flowers he'd stopped to buy at the gift shop to his other hand and pushed the door in. He looked around the room. His mother and uncle stood at one corner arguing over what he could only assume was Stefan's unwanted presence. At least unwanted by Luke anyway.

Stefan was ignoring the fight and speaking quietly to Nikolas in the opposite corner. Juan and Shari stood at the other end of the small room near the second exit. Emily and Zander sat next to Mike, who nodded at what they said but kept sending worried glances his son's way. Lucas watched Sonny near the window. He was the only one not speaking.

He could only imagine what he must be going through. Carly was his sister and he could barely contain the urge to grab one the doctors and demand to know what was happening. But Carly was Sonny's wife. The man was probably close to losing his mind right about now.

He noticed his father step into the waiting room and stare at Sonny for a long moment. Lucas frowned, sensing that the news wasn't exactly all good.

Tony walked to Sonny as a hush fell over the room. Everyone followed his progress to the window, holding their breaths and reaching to each other for strength.

Sonny felt Tony stand next to him and he turned his head slowly. "What's wrong?"

There was a flicker of compassion in Tony's eyes and Sonny clenched his hands open and closed several times. The moment they'd told him he needed to go to the waiting room until Tony could talk with him he'd known that there was something wrong. Looking at the doctor now, his heart grew heavy.

"Tony, just say it."

Tony nodded to the center of the room and Sonny led the way, taking a seat quietly. He watched Tony drag a chair and set it in front of his. He sat slowly, seeming to take the time to gather his thoughts.

Tony met Sonny's eyes. "First off, physically Carly is in better shape than I expected. Especially for someone who went through what she did. Her vitals are all normal and her reflexes are in good shape."

He paused to clear his throat.

"But?" Sonny prodded.

Tony took a deep breath, looking around the room as he spoke. "Carly has what's called retrograde amnesia."

"Oh God."

Sonny heard Bobbie's stunned exclamation but he continued to stare at Tony. "So...she doesn't..." He couldn't even get the words out. This wasn't happening.

Luke clasped Sonny's shoulder and asked Tony. "What exactly does that mean, Tony?"

"Retrograde amnesia affects memory preceding the event that caused it. In Carly's case, she doesn't remember anything before waking up today."

"Can she talk?" Tony glanced over his shoulder at Lucas. His gaze softened more as he answered his son.

"Yes. She can."

"I don't understand..." Sonny began but stopped abruptly. His mind couldn't process any of what Tony was saying. His wife couldn't remember anything. Not him. Not their life or their son. Nothing.

"Retrograde amnesia can often be traced to a severe emotional shock, in which case personal memories such as identity rather than less-personal material like language skills are affected."

"So Carly knows how to talk and walk but doesn't know who she is or, for that matter, any of us are?" Juan stated. He watched Sonny lean his head in his hands and felt his own heart break at seeing him this way.

"Correct. She has no memory of her life. At all."

Sonny raised his head, his red-rimmed eyes glaring at Tony. "Why? I mean...how...?"

Tony held his hand up as the others started to ask the same question. Looking at Sonny he answered gently. "This kind of amnesia seems to represent an escape from disturbing memories, most certainly a repression. Whatever happened that night affected Carly so deeply, in order for Carly to continue, her mind chose to erase it from her memory, wiping everything out in the process."

Bobbie came to sit by Sonny's side, holding her son-in-law's hand tightly. "What are the chances of Carly recovering her memory?"

Tony turned to answer her. He sighed, ignoring the twinge of jealousy as Stefan held Bobbie's other hand. "Memories can generally be recovered through psychotherapy or after the amnesiac state has ended. It can last for weeks, months, or even years." He faced Sonny as he finished and gently patted him on the shoulder. "I believe Carly is a case of when the mind is ready, it'll let the memories return. Until then, we just wait and see."

Nikolas spoke up. "You said therapy was an option."

Tony paused. "It is, but I'm not sure it's in Carly's best interest right now. For whatever reason, she simply can't deal with what happened to her. That means that, as hard as it is, all any of us can do is wait." He rose, touching Sonny's shoulder. "She wants to see you."

Sonny glanced at Bobbie, then Luke, and back to Tony. "She...said that?"

Tony nodded. "I think she feels it would be easiest talking to her husband first."

"She remembered being married?" Sonny asked hopefully, but already seeing the answer in Tony's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sonny, no. I told her she was married and she asked to speak with her husband then."

Sonny nodded and rose to follow Tony. He turned at the door, his eyes meeting Luke's for a moment, before heading to Carly's room.

Bobbie hugged Luke, tears she'd been holding in escaping. Luke wiped at his eyes quickly as he comforted his sister, his heart breaking for her and for Sonny.

Blankness.

Deep and endless.

Carly scrunched her closed eyes tighter, determined to see something. Anything. Her head throbbed and her hand began to twitch, but she continued. She needed to remember. The pain in her temple intensified and she groaned.

The hollowness inside her mind was driving her mad. Her chest constricted and she breathed in shallow gasps of air. She needed to remember...

Nothing.

Tears gathered in her eyes and she choked back a sob.

She laid her head back on the bed, letting the tears fall. Her eyes opened slowly and she took a few long breaths, forcing herself calm. Her head turned and she saw the frame that sat on the small bedside table. She reached out and brought it to her lap.

She sat up, wiping her eyes with her hand. The frame held a picture of an adorable little boy with a head full of red hair. It looked recent to her, not that she could be sure of anything. She stared at the child, tracing his smile with her finger. Her eyes moved to the man that held him in his lap.

She held her breath as she studied the beautiful face…the deep brown eyes that seemed to radiate a sadness so deep she could feel it…the smile that reached out to her. Her fingers caressed his face.

"Sonny."

She wasn't sure how she knew who he was, but she did. Maybe it was the wedding ring that was identical to hers visible on his left hand. Or she'd simply guessed that the picture had to be her family. She didn't know how she knew. She just did.

The door opened and she looked up. Her eyes collided with the same brown ones she had been staring at. Her breath caught in her throat. Her heart beat a little faster, and her mouth opened, but no sound came out.

They stared at each other for an eternity...


	5. Chapter 5: Connecting

**The Space Between**

_Chapter 5: Connecting_

Nothingness.

Vast and hollow.

Blank.

Deep and empty.

Lucky shuddered, rubbing his tired eyes. It was useless to try and connect with Carly. He knew that. It only left him feeling drained and dispirited. But something in him wouldn't stop trying. Wouldn't allow him to crush that spark of hope that the connection they shared, whatever the hell it was, would flare to life suddenly.

He turned his head and paused as the brunette sitting at the table not ten feet away smiled his way, raising her glass in greeting, and motioning to the empty chair next to hers. It was an invitation. One he was more than willing to take up.

He needed to fill numbness with something. Someone.

To forget for just a little while that everything he loved, everyone who meant anything, was lost to him.

If Gia wanted him to move on, then he would. When better to start then the present. He slid off the stool, gulping the rest of his drink down, and he returned the brunette's smile.

Flashes of blood and pain flooded his mind.

His glass fell to the floor, shattering at his feet. Gripping the bar, Lucky held his throbbing head in his hands and laughed mirthlessly. Leave it to Carly to unconsciously kick him in the ass for even contemplating going against his heart. It was definitely her style.

"Hey, are you okay?"

He glanced to his side seeing the same woman standing next to him, worry sketched on her face. He regained his composure and nodded, his smile uneven and pained. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just got a pain."

"In your head, I know."

"More like in the ass."

"Huh?"

Lucky shook his head, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. "Don't pay attention to me. I was just thinking of someone."

The woman's face fell and she nodded. "Girlfriend?"

"Not exactly. Or more like not just her."

He watched her face scrunch into a perplexed expression and he almost smiled. She was beautiful he had to admit. Not caramel-skinned exotic beautiful, but few were. He held his hand out. "The name's Lucky."

She glanced at his outstretched hand and then up to his face. He was serious. She began to laugh. Loud, boisterous and amused laughter. "Tell me that was a pick-up line."

Lucky shook his head, grinning. "Nope. Real name." He kept his hand out and, after a few moments, he felt her warm grip in his.

"Vanessa. Vanessa Roberts."

"Well Vanessa, Vanessa Roberts, would you care for a drink?"

Vanessa glanced at the bar, noting the collection of beer mugs Lucky had accumulated. "You sure you want more?"

Lucky followed her glance and managed to look chagrined. "Okay. Maybe I've had a few."

"You think?" Vanessa teased, leaning back against the bar. "Why are you drinking yourself stupid, anyway?"

"Why are you?"

"I asked first."

Lucky stared at her face. "Problems at home. Coping's a bitch."

Vanessa laughed. "I just got fired. Insubordination rules."

Lucky let out a genuine laugh. "You know my father-" He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes unfocused and he got a vision of dark hair.

Bright white room and… fear?

No. It was all in his head.

"Lucky?"

He waved at Vanessa to shush her, concentrating. He cocked his head almost as if listening intently for something.

Vanessa watched, fascinated. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she could tell that whatever was making Lucky act so strangely was important. That or he was a complete loon. Either way, it would make a great story.

Lucky screwed his eyes shut, willing that feeling to come back. Hoping the images would appear. Wanting desperately for that small inkling of thought, that buzz in his head to be what he hoped it was.

Nothing.

He sighed, convinced that he was most definitely losing his mind.

He opened his eyes, looking at Vanessa who seemed to be giving him room to do whatever he was doing. "I'm sorry about that. I thought-"

He gasped, clutching at his head suddenly. Vanessa reached over to him, gripping onto his arm. "Lucky?!"

Fear.

Confusion.

Desperation.

Those emotions clouded his mind, so quickly, so strongly that it was all Lucky could keep from dropping to the floor. He closed his eyes, trying to catch an image in his mind. Any image.

All he could see was that same blankness. Yet...

It was different. Solid and hard and…

Scary.

Lucky felt the tears roll down his face and in that moment he knew.

Knew that he was needed at home.

He glanced up at Vanessa and, holding her hand, he pleaded. "I need your help. I need you to get me home."

Hospitals gave her nightmares. No one knew that, but they did. They reminded her of sickness. The feelings of helplessness and desperation that seemed to radiate from the patients in their rooms. The near hopelessness from the families that waited on word about their loved ones. Doctors and nurses who seemed so tired and jaded that nothing fazed them.

Alexis craned her neck back, rolling out the stiffness. She always got too tense in hospitals.

"Have some of this."

A cup was held in front of her face and she followed the hand up until she reached Zander's face. She smiled, taking it quickly. "Thank you."

Zander didn't say a word and took the empty seat next to hers. Alexis sipped at her tea and he at his coffee.She glanced over at Zander, who reached out and patted her hand. There was nothing they could do but wait.

So wait they did.

Stefan frowned, watching his sister from his corner. He'd always gotten the impression that hospitals made her uncomfortable. He surveyed the odd assortment of those waiting. Her friendship with these people always worried him, and he was now more afraid than ever.

He could have lost so much that night...

He stiffened, feeling the presence behind him before he even spoke.

"What the hell are you doing here, Stefan?"

He turned to meet Luke's angry stare. "I fund this hospital, Luke, in case you forget. I have an interest in the things that happen here. I was worried about Barbara Jean as well."

Luke closed in and spoke harshly through clenched teeth. "You stay the hell away from Barbara Jean. That goes for Carly as well."

Stefan seethed. "I have more of a right to be here than you do, Spencer. You know that." He caught Nikolas watching them from the other side of the room, and he made it a point to take a step back, lest he was tempted to choke the life out of Luke.

He needed to be here. To make sure everything would work out.

Hell would freeze over before he let Luke Spencer tell him what to do. He held the other man's eyes and silently reminded him of the secret they held. "Don't push me, Luke." Stefan turned on his heels, walking towards Bobbie.

Luke's eyes followed him as he went. "Wouldn't dream of it, Count Vlad."

Shari studied Nikolas as he watched his uncle and Luke from across the room, seeing the worried sketched on his face. "Hey."

Nik turned to her and smiled warmly. "Hey yourself."

"Everything okay?" She followed his gaze to Stefan and Bobbie.

"I don't know. I just have this feeling."

"What kind of feeling?"

He glanced over at Shari. "Like I'm missing a big piece of some puzzle." He looked back at his uncle and then at Luke. "That when I figure it out, a lot of things will make sense."

"Yeah. I know what you mean."

They stared at each other for a moment, having found something. A bond of sorts. Juan joined them, causing Nik to avert his gaze back to the others.

"I just wish I knew what was going on in there." Juan kissed Shari's temple and glanced at Nik, who was avoiding looking at him. He frowned slightly and made a mental note to ask his friend if he was okay. He pulled his face slightly back to look into Shari's eyes and he held her. "I'm just hoping that Sonny and Carly are doing better in there then we seem to be doing out here."

Shari nodded, her eyes falling to the swinging doors beyond the room. "You and me both, babe. You and me both."

"So he just left? No word?"

Gia ignored Marcus' tone and nodded slowly. Was it her imagination or did her brother almost sound proud of Lucky's actions? "I guess he did." She shook her head, flipping absently through the pages of her magazine. "He didn't bother to tell me. Just left me that with Nik." She motioned to the letter on the nightstand.

Taggert swiped the pages into his hand, glancing periodically at his sister as he read. He finished the letter, folding it neatly and placing it back on the stand. "So what did the doctor say to you this afternoon? Anything new to report?"

Gia stared at him, anger and pain washing over her. "That's it. You're not going to make a comment about the letter? Not going to tell me how I'm better off without him?"

Taggert shook his head. "No, because I don't think you are. Better off, that is."

Gia snatches the paper and shakes it violently at him. "Marcus, did you even read what he said?"

"Yes, baby, I did."

"He called me selfish and cowardly. Not to mention stubborn and dumb."

"That he did."

Shock radiated off her and she stared dumbly at him. "You think he's right, don't you?"

Taggert's silence was her answer and she held back tears.

"I needed to let him go, Marcus. It was for his own good."

Taggert's face softened and he took her hand, kissing it softly. "If that's what you needed to do, then fine. But make sure you **did** do it for him Gia. Not because you're scared of what he means to you." He pushed her hair back and held her gaze. "Cause if that's the **real** reason, you might come to regret your decision."

The room fell into silence as Gia took in her brother's words. Suddenly she glanced up and asked the question he'd been dreading. "Do you know what happened with Carly?"

Taggert shook his head. "It's not good news, baby."

Gia closed her eyes. "Tell me."

He scooted her gently over and sat next to her, cradling her softly as he told her of her friend's condition and what the doctors thought the possibilities of her recovery were. He held his sister as she cried first in relief and then in sadness. He murmured quiet reassurances as he glanced out the window at the fading light and wondered if the world would ever be right again...

**You don't remember me, but I remember you.  
I lie awake and try so hard not to think of you.  
But who can decide what they dream?  
And dream I do**

They stood frozen, staring at each other an eternity. The moment seemed to stretch before them and neither wanted to speak for fear of breaking the spell. His eyes drank in the sight of her, relief and love flooding his senses. Hers roamed his every feature trying desperately to remember, to place them in her mind.

**I believe in you.  
I'll give up everything just to find you.  
I have to be with you to live, to breathe...  
You're taking over me**

It took every ounce of strength in Sonny not to run to her side and hold her close. She was alive and with him. He could look into her beautiful brown eyes and get lost in them. He could feel that coldness inside begin to melt. He could feel his heart again. He wanted to touch her, breathe in her scent and feel her warmth. Let it seep into and around him. He took a step closer, looking directly at her eyes, and he stopped.

The eyes that stared back at him were warm but distant. Hesitant and afraid. Unsure of him. He almost laughed at that moment, because he'd been sure that when she looked at him, looked into his face, it'd all come back to her. Their love, their anger, their life would come rushing back.

He knew better than to hope for miracles. Miracles were for other people.

He swallowed past the lump in his throat and smiled slightly.

"Carly."

**Can you know what I know and all we have.  
You saw me mourning my love for you and touched my hand.  
I knew you loved me then**

Carly started at the sound of his voice. She'd been entranced by his face, his movements. He was more beautiful than his picture if that was possible. And when he'd first looked at her, she saw a light in his eyes that was missing from the photograph. His face had softened and she could feel the love radiating from him in waves. Taking over her senses and overwhelming her completely.

It frightened her like nothing else had so far. This rush of emotions, of need she felt at seeing this man. Her husband.

Suddenly the light was extinguished and was replaced with that sadness she'd seen in the photo. An emptiness so deep and clear it made her ache. She wanted to ease his pain, to comfort him, but how could she? She didn't know this man any better than she knew herself.

When he said her name, she held back a gasp at hearing him speak. She noticed the dimples and smiled in spite of it all.

Someone that gorgeous didn't need the added charm of dimples. It was simply unfair.

**I believe in you.  
I'll give up everything just to find you.  
I have to be with you to live, to breathe...  
You're taking over me**

"Sonny."

He smiled wider, but she realized it didn't reach his eyes. That he was pretending for her sake. For some reason that seemed wrong and false. She held her hand out and motioned to the chair at her bedside.

"You don't have to hide your disappointment."

He averted her gaze for a moment before taking the seat and meeting her eyes. "I know."

She nodded not sure what to say next. Her eyes fell to his hand and the gold ring caught her attention. She remembered something she'd been wondering about. Reaching over, she touched the band lightly. "What does _MCC Forever _mean?"

**I look in the mirror and see your face, if I look deep enough.  
So many things inside that just frighten you are taking over**

Sonny eyes strayed to her hand and he reached for it, thrilled at the small contact. He laughed softly. "I pictured you asking me a hundred different questions when I walked in here. That wasn't one of them."

Carly giggled, relaxing as he brushed her hand with his fingers. She kept her gaze on his bent head and waited for the answer.

Sonny closed his eyes at the sweet sound of her laugh. "It's our initials. Michael and Caroline Corinthos Forever." He caressed her fingers softly. "I got the rings engraved after our wedding."

Carly flicked her gaze to the wall, hating the pain this was causing the man in front of her. She didn't know him, or at least she didn't remember knowing him, but she could see that this was killing him.

**I believe in you.  
I'll give up everything just to find you.  
I have to be with you to live, to breathe...  
You're taking over me**

Sonny avoided her eyes, knowing that if he looked into the deep brown recesses he'd lose his facade. He needed time to steel himself against the emptiness, the stranger's eyes that would look back at him.

She was his Carly and she wasn't.

The woman in this bed was what remained of his wife after his choices had finished with her. He was grateful that Carly had this second chance at life. He was going to make sure she got to live it. No matter what he had to do. Guilt and regret ate away at him constantly, every moment he was awake and even some when he wasn't. He wasn't going to let Carly be another regret, another selfish decision he made.

It didn't matter if Carly remembered him. If he were honest, he'd admit that he had no hopes that his wife would ever return. Like he said, miracles and such just didn't happen to people like him. But Sonny was determined to help her rebuild her life. To make sure she started again. Even if it was without him.

He knew he'd love her forever.

That would be enough for him. It had to be.

He glanced up finally and met her unfamiliar eyes. "What do you need me to do?"

**I believe in you.  
I'll give up everything just to find you.  
I have to be with you to live, to breathe...  
You're taking over me**

Carly studied his face for a moment. Something was off. She wasn't sure how she knew that but she did. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she patted his hand gently. "Sonny, are you okay?"

He nodded, rising from his seat. "I'm fine." He caught her disbelieving look and conceded. "As fine as I could be under the circumstances." He smiled at her and nodded reassuredly. "Is there something you need me to get you? Anything I can do?"

He was covering, she realized suddenly. He was hiding from her and that thought made her afraid. She didn't want him to do that. He was the only thing so far that made any sense to her. She didn't remember him or their life, but she **felt** right with him. From the moment he'd walked in, she'd felt...

Complete.

But instinct told her she shouldn't push. She had to figure out what was wrong and then plan her move from there. So she smiled back up at him and answered his question. "You can bust me out of here."

Sonny stared at her, startled. "What?"

Carly held his gaze and nodded to assure him he'd heard correctly.

"I want to go home, Sonny. With you."

**(taking over me)  
You're taking over me  
(taking over me)  
Taking over me  
**

_Lyrics: Taking Over Me by Evanescence_


	6. Chapter 6: Letting Go

**The Space Between**

_Chapter 6: Letting go_

_Two days later..._

**POLICE DEPARTMENT CLOSES CASE ON NOVEMBER MASSACRE. **

The headline screamed up at him from his desk. He couldn't understand how this had happened. The words taunted, poked at him and Mac gritted his teeth, slamming his hand on the black and white letters. Ripping the page out, he crumpled it into a ball and threw it forcefully at the wall.

His office door swung open, hitting the wall hard as it slammed against it. He glanced up into Felicia's furious gaze. "Mac, tell me this is a joke." She shoved the offending paper in his face. "What the hell does this mean?!"

Mac averted his ex-wife's fuming glare, stepping around her agitated form he headed to his office door closing it calmly. There was enough gossip running through his department. He wasn't about to add fuel to the fire. He took a moment to compose himself before facing Felicia. "I don't even know how to explain."

"You don't-" She sputtered her eyes widening and then narrowing angrily. "Is this because it's Sonny's wife that was injured? Some sort of sick revenge for his _alleged_ crimes?"

"I'm not even going to deem that with a response. You know me better than that." Mac pointed at her, walking back to his desk and facing her squarely. "I want to help Sonny. I want to find the bastard who hurt Carly and all those people that night. I want to see justice done."

Felicia threw the paper on his desk, motioning to the glaring words on the front page. "Then what is this, Mac, hmm? Why is the police department giving up such a high profile crime?"

Mac brought his eyes up to her face, opening his mouth to respond but he noticed an angry figure enter the squad room and charge toward his office. He rushed around his desk, reaching the door before Taggert could touch the handle. He held his hand up at the lieutenant. "Not a word until I close this door. One outburst a day is enough for me." He closed the door sharply, sighing loudly and directed Taggert to the chairs facing his desk. "Have a seat. Both of you."

Taggert and Felicia glanced at one another and reached for the chairs. They glanced at Mac in unison, confusion on their faces. He rubbed at his neck in frustration, plopping down into his chair. "Alright. Last night I received a call from the mayor _suggesting_," Mac spit the word out through his teeth, "that the police department should concentrate on crimes and cases we could solve. That he had heard the trail for the November massacre case was cold and we were simply wasting our time."

Taggert fisted his hand on the chair. "That's bullshit, Mac! You know it could be any of the dozens of enemies that Sonny has. And the Spencers have managed to tick of plenty of people as well."

"Not to mention we haven't ruled out someone in Carly's past. We don't know were she was for the five years prior to her showing up here in Port Charles."

Mac raised his hand. "I'm not disputing any of that. Hell, I haven't completely ruled out anything or anybody yet but this isn't my call."

"You're the commissioner."

"Yes," Mac glared at Taggert, "and as the commissioner, I answer directly to the mayor. He wants us to shut down the investigation I have no choice but to do as he says."

"Damn it."

Felicia hung her head, staring at the floor as she spoke. "Someone must have paid him off. Or blackmailed him."

"Someone with a lot of power, money and influence."

Mac nodded. "Who does that sound like to you?" He looked into Felicia eyes when they darted up to his face. She shook her head, stunned that she hadn't thought of the possibility.

"Helena. It has to be." She regarded the two men in the room intently. "We must have been getting close if she went so far as to call in a "favor". Is there anything you can do, Mac?"

"My hands are tied." He glanced at Felicia, smiling softly at her. "But yours aren't."

Taggert rose to his feet. "Pardon me sir but didn't you say you were told to stop investigating."

"I believe the police was told to stop. Felicia is in the private sector if I'm not mistaken." He meet her twinkling eyes as understanding dawned and smiled despite the situation then turned back to Taggert. "I'm not going to sit back and let that idiot mayor roll over me or what happened that night. We need to know and if we have to take an irregular approach to solving it so be it." He glanced quickly between them, finally resting his gaze on Taggert. "You two are our only hope."

Felicia furrowed her brow, confused. "Two?"

Mac's eyes stayed on Taggert. "You know the case better than even Felicia and I do. It's personal to you. You won't stop until you solve it. Felicia is going to need your help."

Taggert shook his head. "Mac, you just said they don't want police involvement and I suppose I could help her when I'm off duty but that won't be enough time to be of any use."

Mac agreed with a nod. "Very true. But then you'll have plenty of time off from now on." He smiled wryly at his friend. "Give me your weapon and your badge. You're fired...Marcus."

_I won't go, I won't sleep, I can't breathe_

_Until you're resting here with me _

Lucky opened his eyes slowly, glanced at Vanessa's profile as she hummed along with the song. The early morning light glinted through the driver's side window casting her in an angelic glow and he chuckled. The girl was no saint as he recalled her fight with some biker when he'd tried to stop her from taking him home. He'd called her bitch and she'd stopped, making sure she'd leaned him against the bar, then walked over to the jerk who'd insulted her.

They had walked out of there a few minutes later with the biker writhing in pain on the floor, her hands full of food that she had received as her bribe for not calling the cops into the bar, and a brand new leather jacket.

_I won't leave, I can't hide, I cannot be_

_Until you're resting here with me_

Lucky threw a disgruntled look toward the radio. "Do you think we could change that? It's going to depress me."

Vanessa screamed, her hands gripping the wheel tightly. She brought one to her heart and threw him a fuming look. "Jesus Christ. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She sent him another glance as she played with the dials of the radio. "I thought you were sleeping it off."

"I am."

_I lie around in bed all day just staring at the walls_

_Hanging round bars at night_

_Wishing I had never been born _

Lucky shook his head. "Not that one."

Vanessa sighed, reaching for the radio again. "Are you always this much of a pain in the ass?"

He grinned at her as she fiddled with the buttons angrily. "So they tell me."

_There's something in the way she moves_

_Or looks my way or calls my name _

Lucky's smile fell and Vanessa automatically reached for the dials, groaning in frustration as she looked over at him. "Last time, Spencer."

_Just three miles from the rest stop_

_And she slams on the brakes_

_She said I tried to but I'm not_

_And could you please collect your things _

"Well that's an idea." Vanessa glanced at Lucky who had the fakest sickly-sweet smile aimed her way. She looked back to the horizon and glanced at the highway sign as they sped past.

Only 436 miles to New York.

She flexed her hands on the wheel and rolled her eyes heavenward. _Oh joy..._

He watched as she handed her guest an envelope, smiling down on him. For most people that smile would have come off as sly, inviting. On her it seemed and was dangerous, threatening. He watched as the man swallowed nervously, trying to smile back but only managing to appear sick and afraid.

He should be if he was getting into bed, as it were, with Helena.

Jason smirked at the thought. She was going to eat the dear mayor alive. He'd be surprised if the poor bastard finished his term. Helena guided him out of the room, and he walked over to the small porthole to watch as she lead him to the boat that would carry him back to the mainland.

Walking to the small but extremely well stocked bar, he chose a glass and poured himself some water. He surveyed the choices thinking that Sonny could give her a run in the alcohol department. He sipped wondering how many times one of the guards had had to restock the bar since Carly had been in the hospital. He imagined Graciella had her hands full with the broken glass.

Helena glanced at Jason's chuckling form as she re-entered the room. "May I ask what you find so amusing?"

He shook his head, grinning at her. "Nothing that would interest you really. So are we sure that guy won't crack and spill? I mean he seems a little." He waved his hand from side to side to indicate his doubt of the mayor's strength.

Helena laughed softly. "Are you trying to say you think Mayor Harris is a pansy, my dear boy?"

"If that means I think he's a fag then yeah."

Helena shook her head in amusement, her eyes perused his body from foot to head. She wet her lips as she stared at his face hungrily. "Well, I don't think I have to worry about that with you."

Jason suppressed a shudder, averted the look she was sending him. "So things are under control." He finished his drink and turned to her."And you're sure that Carly doesn't remember anything?" Helena nodded slowly, a satisfied smile on her face. Jason returned it with his own. "Good. Then I think it's time to step up the plan."

Helena acquiesced, patting the seat next to her. "Tell me, my darling, what that is?"

He sat down and took her claw like hands in his, placing a small kiss on the inside of her wrist, resisting the urge to snap her delicate neck He needed her to finish destroying Sonny and Carly. "It's time for Jason to come home."

Silence filled the space in the small car as it wove through the early morning traffic. Carly's eyes fell on Sonny's hands as they flexed on the wheel and she ventured a look at his face. She noticed his jaw clench and release and clench once more. He was breathing strangely.

Carly frowned, glancing at the road briefly then returning her gaze to Sonny's face. "Sonny?" She reached out to him, caressing the length of his arm with her hand. She reached his shoulder and rubbed softly in a circular motion. "Are you okay?" She wasn't sure what had made her do that. It seemed to be working.

Her touch soothed him some she realized noticing that his shoulders relaxed slightly and his hands stopped fidgeting against the steering wheel. He smiled gently but didn't take his eyes off the road. "I'm fine. How are you doing? Tired?"

Carly shook her head, worried more about him then herself. He was taking the wife who didn't remember him or their life together home to their son, who she also didn't have any memory of. She knew too well how tense and scared he was feeling.

But there was something else happening. Something she couldn't quite figure out.

She leaned back against the seat studying her husbands face closely. Over the last two days she'd learned to read some of his facial expressions and others still perplexed her. Her eyes scanned his profile and she felt the now familiar skip her heart seemed to give whenever she looked at him.

She had strange reactions to him. Her fingers would tingle when he looked at her. She almost gave in to the need to touch him again. His laugh could send a delicious shiver running down her back. She still remembered the first time that had happened.

It was the day after she woken up and she'd said something about the hospital food and that it would be a mercy killing if he took out the kitchen staff. He'd stopped folding the napkin over her lap and had proceeded to let out the huskiest, warmest laugh she'd ever heard. Granted her knowledge of laughs was limited to three days but she was sure it was the best she'd ever heard. And would ever hear.

They turned into an underground garage and parked near the entrance to the elevator. Sonny came round and opened her door, extending his hand to help her out. She took his hand but hesitated slightly when two men stepped out from the shadows near the doors they were going to enter through. Sonny glanced behind him and nodded to the men. One of them disappeared into the elevator while the other approached the car. Sonny squeezed her hand and she glanced up at him.

"It okay. They work for me. That's Joseph," he pointed to the extremely young man that was heading toward them and then to the one standing by the doors, "and that's Max."

Carly forced her body to relax as the two men smiled kindly at her. They moved quietly with a practiced ease and confidence. One always stayed ahead and alert. The other kept pace with her and Sonny. They entered through what she assumed was the back entrance and made their way silently up the elevator.

She glanced at Sonny noticing that change in his breathing again. His eyes seemed unfocused and distant. They remained on the numbers as they ascended. She followed his arm down and watched as his hand flexed and then relaxed repeatedly. Her attention returned to his face and saw him silently mouthing the numbers as they rose.

He was scared.

The realization hit her and she felt foolish for not having gotten it in the car. Sonny was claustrophobic. She wasn't sure how she knew that but she did.

Elevator doors opened and she followed Sonny quietly out into the hall. She reached for his hand as he headed to the door on their right. Feeling her warmth next to him, he turned, his eyes clear and sharp once more. "Are you ready?"

She shook her head but smiled widely receiving a grin in return. "Are you?"

Sonny paused, studying her face. "No but I want you safe. I want you to be somewhere familiar."

Carly nodded. "Then let's go."

He opened the door, stepping aside to let her pass, watching her face for any signs of recognition. There was none he could see. Her eyes seemed to roam from spot to spot. Searching, needing to find something she knew. Something that she remembered.

Carly studied every piece of space she could see. Nothing seemed to trigger her mind. She smiled despite her fear. "Do you always decorate like this for the holidays?" She sent him an amused glance and spread her hand toward the tree. "There's barely any green left on that thing."

Sonny shrugged. "Michael wanted it that way."

Carly smiled softly at the mention of her the little boy she knew was her son. "Yeah?"

Sonny nodded. "Gets it from you."

She paused, staring at him. "I'm a holiday person I take it."

"They call you the Christmas Nazi."

Carly's mouth dropped open. "Are you serious?" He nodded, hiding a smile at her incredulous expression. "I have a nickname?"

Sonny tilted his head to the side. Carly found it endearing and damn near sexy as hell.

"Several actually." He smiled playfully. "I actually think my fave-" He stopped staring past her to the stairs.

"Momma!"

Carly stiffened at the small voice and mentally braced for her first glance at her son. She turned to see the little boy standing on the landing, smiling at her widely. When she looked at him his smile dimmed slightly. He glanced at Sonny then back at her putting his hands shyly behind him.

"I'm sorry I forgot you don't know me."

Hearing those words broke her heart and she turned desperately to Sonny.

He reached for her hand and tugged her with him to the stairs. Stretching his free hand, he grabbed Michael by his shirt and pulled him gently down the rest of the way. Once he held them both he directed them toward the couch.

Carly sat next to Sonny, her eyes staying on the little boy the entire time as Sonny explained as clearly as he could that Carly did know him, she just couldn't remember that. Michael nodded, looking at Carly several times before reaching his hand out to her. "Michael Corinthos the third, Mommy."

Carly bit back tears knowing how difficult and confusing this had to be for her son.

Her son.

She'd known the beautiful sweet child was hers from the moment she'd laid eyes on him. There was a need to hold him that she had to resist with all her might. She didn't want to confuse him further. Didn't want to cause more pain than he was already experiencing.

Sonny's eyes stayed on Carly as she shook Michael hand. His heart broke when she seemed as blank now as she had been before seeing their son. Somewhere in his heart there had been hope that when Carly saw Michael it would come back to her. It hurt that it hadn't.

He covered both their hands with his and stared at the two people he loved most in the world.

It was going to take time but he was going to make sure Michael got his mother back. That Carly would feel whole again.

And once he'd done that, once he'd made sure he'd given them what they needed and wanted, he would make sure they'd never be hurt like that ever again.

He was going to set them free.


	7. Chapter 7: Awakenings

**The Space Between**

_Chapter 7: Awakenings_

Zander pressed his fist against his mouth, trying and failing to keep the bubble of mirth from escaping. He watched with what could only be called glee as Juan silently twisted the cap of the salt shaker. His friend grinned at him and keeping an eye on the kitchen door, he picked up the sugar and began to loosen the top.

Zander shook his head with suppressed amusement. Juan was determined to make Elizabeth's life a living hell. He was convinced that she was the devil and nothing anyone said changed his mind.

Elizabeth marched out of the kitchen, pausing to look nervously around her. Juan leaned against the surface of the counter and waved at her. Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth barely suppressed the need to take a jab at Juan. He was driving her crazy. Always watching her. Like he knew what she had done.

Not that she had done anything. She wasn't the one who hurt those people. It wasn't her business to get involved.

Juan observed Elizabeth's face, taking note at how she tensed at seeing him. He wouldn't have bothered with her, especially since his mind had better things to worry about. But the fact his focus on what she did affected her so much made him think she felt guilty. She was more than nervous. It was as if she was terrified of something. Or someone.

"I'm busy Juan. So order or leave now."

He smirked at her, folding his hands on the countertop. "Is my presence here upsetting you, Lizzie?"

Flicking a look of annoyance his way Elizabeth responded. "Yes, Ricky Martin. It does."

"Oh. Good one, muffin face."

"Ok. That's the bell." Zander grabbed Juan's arm and guided him away from Ground Zero.

"I hate that girl."

"You've made that abundantly clear, friend of mine." They watched Elizabeth take a customer's order before disappearing into the kitchen once more. Zander brought his gaze to Juan. "You think maybe you're overdoing it a little."

Juan met Zander's stare and shook his head. "My gut tells me that little witch knows something important."

"What do you mean?"

Silence.

Zander's eyes widened and he leaned in, whispering harshly. "You cannot be serious."

Sipping his water, Juan shrugged nonchalantly, feeling anything but. "Well she did disappear for days after."

"She was visiting family Juan."

"So she says."

Zander raised his hand, shaking his head. "Okay. This is insane. What the hell makes you even think that?"

"Gut feeling."

Zander protested. "Or maybe you're hatred for her, which I do think is justified, is coloring everything."

Juan narrowed his gaze, smiling slightly as Elizabeth picked up the sugar that he's loosened to serve a customer. It spilled into the cup, knocking it over and onto the now livid customer. Zander even smirked as he watched Elizabeth try to pacify the man.

He and Juan began to laugh quietly. Feeling warm hands on his shoulders, Juan tipped his head back, puckering to receive a small kiss from his beautiful lady. "Hiya baby."

Shari grinned, looking at the commotion at the front of the diner. "Do I even want to know?"

"Best not to."

"Not really."

"That's what I thought. Babe, you need to get another hobby."

"That's what I'm saying." Zander joked.

Laughing at Juan's petulant expression, they looked up as Elizabeth stopped at their table. "Really cute Juan."

"Whatever do you mean?" Juan asked innocently.

"Just stay the fuck away from me, you little creep." Elizabeth snapped and turning sharply went to help some waiting customers.

"Charming." Shari eyed the waitress pointedly. "Has she always been that sweet?"

Juan grinned at her, taking a quick glance at his watch. Rising from his seat, he threw a few dollars on the table and grabbed Shari's hand. He turned to Zander, motioning to the door. "We should go or we'll be late."

"I wasn't the one who stopped to behave like a five-year-old." Zander stood up, stopping Juan's retort. "Vamonos."

Juan followed Zander and Shari out of the diner, stopping for a moment to stare at Elizabeth. No matter what Zander or Shari thought he knew Elizabeth was hiding something and he was going to find out what it was.

"Have the hospital fumes turned your brain into mush, Barbara?"

Bobbie rolled her eyes, trying to ignore Luke as he paced behind her. She tilted her head, studying the hunter green dress and silver heels she wore. Her eyes took note of the newest wrinkles under her eyes and she sighed deeply. As Lucas would say, getting older sucked. She tossed her auburn hair lightly over her shoulder and satisfied that she looked decent enough, she brought her attention to her brother.

"...and he's here visiting you and Lucas every day. I don't like that Barbara Jean."

Bobbie raised one eyebrow and directed Luke with a deadly look. "You aren't trying, by any chance, Lucas Lorenzo, to tell me what to do, are you?"

Luke managed to hear her tone over the roaring in his ears and he paused, holding his tongue in check. "I'm just worried is all."

Softening slightly, Bobbie hugged Luke. "And I appreciate it but Stefan isn't going to hurt me Luke."

"Where have I heard that before?"

Bobbie sighed. "Don't."

"Don't what? Don't say the truth. He's hurt you. More than once."

"That's all in the past Luke. People change."

Luke gazed at her sadly. "Some people never do, Barbara."

Lucas stopped outside the bedroom door, contemplating whether or not he should let his presence be known. He knew his uncle and his mother had been having this same fight for weeks now. He couldn't blame Uncle Luke. Stefan had hurt his mother badly when they'd been involved. He'd been just a kid but he remembered how much his mother cared for Stefan. Still did.

"You are impossible."

"He'll only do it again Barbara. And this time, it won't just be you he'll destroy."

"Stop it."

Hearing the distress in his mother's voice, Lucas raised his hand to knock on the door, determined to stop the argument before it was a full swing brawl.

"I won't let him hurt her like he did you."

Lucas paused, confused. _Her._

"It's been over 25 years Luke. Don't you think it's time you let it go?"

"No. Not when I see that ripping you apart didn't satisfy him. Not when he thinks he still has claims on you and now on her."

Lucas shook his head. _What the hell was going on? _Pressing against the wall, he listened quietly.

Bobbie covered her face in exasperation. "You can't stop him Luke. He has the right to be worried."

"Right? He has the right?!" Luke bellowed, "He walked away, leaving you to face everything alone and he now has a right?"

"I don't want to talk about this right now Luke. I just want to go to my daughter's house and celebrate that she came back to us. Can we do that please? Can we for just a few hours forget about this?"

"Fine. But this is far from over. If you won't listen to me then I sure as hell will make sure that Count Vald does."

"Damn it Luke!"

"That's the last thing I say about it for now. Get your coat and let's collect LJ so we can go."

Lucas crept down the hall and descended the stairs swiftly. He glanced up as he reached the bottom, a thought emerging. He shook it off. It couldn't possibly be what he was thinking.

_"It's been over 25 years Luke. Don't you think it's time you let it go?" _

Lucas ran his hand through his hair. If what he thought was true, Luke wasn't the only one who was going to give Stefan a kick in the ass. He turned as he heard his uncle and mother walked down the stairs. Pasting a fake smile on his face, he meet them at the landing.

"Everyone ready?"

Bobbie glanced at him shrewdly and nodded. "Yep."

"Well then Spencers, let's shake it and roll..."

"What do you mean I cannot have that information?"

Tony's withering glance bounced off of Stefan as the doctor responded. "You know the rules better than anyone, Mr. Cassadine. Only immediate family is given access to patient's medical records."

"I am not asking for one of Mrs. Corinthos files, Doctor Jones. I just wish to know her status."

Tony rubbed his forehead and turned to face Stefan. "And I'm telling you that the only people who I'm allowed to talk to about Carly's condition are her husband and mother."

"I own this hospital."

"Congratulations."

Stefan frowned. "Are you mocking me Doctor?"

Tony shook his head and gathered his papers. "I don't know what you're sudden interest in Carly is, Stefan. But if you're intention is to hurt her I suggest you rethink it." He watched as the other man smiled slightly. "That was not a joke."

"Are you warning me away, Doctor Jones?"

"Yes. I don't think you want to cross Sonny."

"I'm not afraid of Corinthos. Besides I have no ill intentions toward Caroline."

Tony nodded. "I certainly hope not. Because maybe you can handle Sonny. But I very much doubt you could handle both Sonny and the Spencers." Tony brushed past him, turning for a moment to address him. "And if they don't finish you off, Carly will."

Carly tilted her head slightly as she studied the array of food lying before her on the table. Pasta of all kinds, enough vegetables to satisfy any health nut, four kinds of potatoes, a couple of casseroles arranged in a circle leaving a large space for what she assumed was the turkey Sonny had spent all day preparing.

She smiled widely and pausing sneaked a glance in the direction of kitchen. No Sonny.

Reaching her head over, she sampled some of the linguini. Popping the soft noodle in her mouth, she closed her eyes in ecstasy. Someone like her husband just could not be real. He was sexy, warm, loving and the boy could cook. She grinned and opening her eyes reached for a taste of the mashed potatoes.

Bright white light clouded her vision, her head thrumming with pain. She clutched at the nearest chair, plopping down on it.

_Darkness...enclosed in a room...throbbing with pain and anguish...Sonny on the couch before her...pink dress...bandaged hand...sadness...so much sadness..._

_Her hand softly caressed his forehead..._

_"Now I see..." _

"Sweetheart?"

Sonny's heart froze as Carly raised grief-stricken eyes to stare at him. He kneeled in front of her, taking her hands, panic lacing his voice. "Baby, what's wrong? What is it?"

Carly smiled in spite of the agony in her heart and head. She touched his face. "That's the first time you've called me baby."

Sonny shook his head. "Don't change the subject, Carly. What is it?" She was staring, her eyes tracing his face calmly, as if looking for something.

Running her hands over his hair gently she spoke in almost a whisper. "It still hurts, doesn't it?" She reached down to his right hand and opening his palm, softly traced the faint scar there.

Sonny's eyes widened and his heart jumped with elation. "You - you remember?"

Carly hesitated then shook her head. "Not exactly."

Sonny felt that spark of hope die, hiding his disappointment as he waited for her to finish. Tony had told him not to push her. That pushing would only makes things worse.

"I had a moment...I don't know. There was a flash of light and I saw these images of...us. Here, I think. I saw a pink dress...your hand bandaged...you on the couch." Carly turned her head to look at him. "But it was...the feeling that overwhelmed. That utter sense of loss and pain..." She reached out for him and he hugged her tightly.

"It's okay sweetheart. It was a long time ago."

She pulled away, contemplating if she ought to push or not. It wasn't the right moment. They had company on their way and she wasn't sure whether she was ready to know. The intensity of those flashes had almost frightened her. Smiling at Sonny, she took his face in her hands. "Can we talk about it later?"

Sonny nodded in relief. "Sure." He stood up, holding her arm as she steadied herself. Nodding that she was fine, Carly moved to nervously adjust the dishes of food.

"I'll go check on the turkey."

"Okay."

Hearing his footsteps start to go, she leaned against the table. Breathing in and out deeply, her heart began to calm and resume normal beats. She had an urge to throw her arms around Sonny and never let him go.

Carly pushed her hair back, holding it lightly at the nape of her neck. She knew those images she'd seen were important. For both her and Sonny. Her feelings had been amplified and all she had wanted at that moment was to make his pain stop.

"Stop it Carly."

She reached over for another fingerful of potatoes.

"Don't you dare."

She smiled despite the heaviness of her thought and peeked at him over her shoulder. "What?"

"Don't play innocent with me. You were about to stick your finger in the potatoes."

"My hands are clean." She coyly circled her finger slowly over the dish, inching closer and closer to the potatoes.

"Carly."

"Yes?"

"You touch those potatoes and I'll make you eat them all." Sonny paused, realizing the mistake he'd just made.

"Really?" Carly dipped her finger in and scooped the potatoes up, laughing at Sonny frustrated sigh.

"Come here."

Sonny moved slightly back as Carly descended toward him with her finger poised in a threat. "No. Carly, no."

"Just a little taste for me."

"I don't like mashed potatoes. Carly, stop." There was amusement in his voice mixed with a trace of desire. His wife advancing on him with that determined expression brought back too many memories. He halted and she was standing in front of him, her finger at his mouth.

"Just a taste."

Staring into her eyes, he noticed the awareness of what she doing there. Grasping her hand, he brought it to his lips, opening them and slowly suckling her finger. There was a gasp deep in her throat and before he could change his mind Sonny placed his hand on her waist pulling her against him.

"If you insist."

He leaned down, watching her face through half-slitted eyes as his lips brushed against hers. He kissed her once, twice lightly before cupping her face. His fingers caressed her cheeks until her eyes opened to meet his. "If you want me to stop..."

Carly shook her head unable to speak. He couldn't stop. This was the most right she'd felt since she'd woken up. This moment was all she wanted. "Don't...stop."

Growling deep in chest Sonny plundered her mouth. Small bites soothed by gentle kisses. Her mouth open slightly under his and she sighed as their tongues dueled in a lascivious dance.

Carly felt her hands running up and over his back and she pulled quickly at his jacket. She needed to feel him. Now...

Sonny pulled away and she stumbled from the sudden loss of his warmth against her. She opened her eyes. "What..." Then she heard it . The persistent knocking on their door. She glanced down at herself and saw her rumpled, half opened shirt. She started to giggle and watched Sonny's face break into a grin.

"Do we do this often?"

He shrugged proudly. "What can I say? I'm irresistible."

Carly laughed happily, her heart and body still humming with giddiness and wanting. "Get the door before we embarrass ourselves any further."

Sonny turned as he reached the door. "We're not done."

Shivers of desire ran down her back and not knowing what to say she concentrated on fixing her appearance. When she was sure she was decent, she nodded at Sonny.

He smoothed a hand down his face and breathing deeply opened the door. "Oh my god. You're back." He crushed someone in a hug and turned to her with a smile then stepped away from the door.

Carly stared at the man standing in the doorway.

He grinned at her. "Welcome back Carly..."


	8. Chapter 8: Visitors

** The Space Between**

_Chapter 8: Visitors _

Carly stared at the man standing in the doorway.

He grinned at her. "Welcome back Carly."

Before Sonny could stop him Lucky pounced at his cousin locking her in a bear hug. Her back stiffened, her arms remaining at her sides and he pulled back meeting her eyes. His joy evaporated as he stared at her scared, confused eyes. Taking a step back, he glanced quickly at Sonny, realizing from his stern expression that he was missing some information.

"Carly, this is Lucky. Your cousin."

Relief flooded through Carly and she smiled at the young blonde man in front of her. "Hello." She held her hand out, frowning when he didn't shake it. She looked at Sonny for reassurance and received it in the form of a dimpled smile.

Their connection was gone.

Lucky felt the loss all at once, the sudden grief causing him to lose balance and he wobbled. "I'm sorry." He could feel daggers at his back coming from Sonny and he choked down pain and bitterness, smiling stiffly at Carly. "I'm sorry." He finally took her hand and shook it firmly. "I was out of town. I didn't know...Sorry."

Sonny came to stand next to him placing a comforting hand at Lucky's shoulder. He could feel sorrow rolling off of Lucky in waves. This was difficult for all of them but it had to be hardest for his friend. Carly and Lucky had shared a special bond. "Hey. Why don't you go get the boys so they can see their cousin?"

Carly rolled her eyes. "You know I lost my memory not my intelligence, Sonny. I know when someone wants to get rid of me." Her tone was light but Sonny could see that her interaction with Lucky and his reaction was disconcerting. He watched as she ascended the stairs, checking to make sure she wasn't within earshot. Sonny turned to Lucky when a movement caught his eye. He eyed the brunette that stood uncomfortable in his doorway.

"Lucky, who the hell is that?"

Lucky glanced over at Sonny, then at the door noticing that Vanessa was still there. Her face seemed paler, strained and he frowned. What was wrong with her? "That's Vanessa. Vanessa Roberts. She gave me a ride home." Walking over to his companion Lucky touched her arm, surprised when she jumped in response. "Hey Nessa? Are you okay?" he asked, smiling kindly when she focused on his face.

"Um...yeah...I'm sorry...I...can I sit down please?"

"Sure. Maybe you should take deep breaths or something? Or you know, put your head between your legs. They say that works, right?" Vanessa's unexpected reaction to his family briefly distracted him from the knowledge that the one person he counted on didn't even know him anymore.

Sonny watched Vanessa and Lucky, his eyebrow raising at the attention that his cousin seemed to be paying the girl. He cleared his throat. "Can I get you water?"

Vanessa shook her head refusing to meet Sonny gaze. She felt dizzy and taking Lucky's suggestion, she placed her head between her long legs. This was not happening to her. She did not just walk into this situation. "I'm alright. Thank you." she responded, meekly, her mind racing to find a way out of this.

Fast.

Fortunately she didn't have to wait long.

"Lucky, could we have a minute?"

Lucky took his eyes off Vanessa looking over at Sonny and nodded. He patted her back once before making his way to the other end of the room. He smiled weakly at Sonny, his eyes blank and spoke sadly. "So we didn't get her back then?"

Sonny grimaced. Those had been his thoughts as well, at first, so he couldn't blame Lucky for saying the same. He pulled on his ear, stalling, needing to find the right words. "It's still Carly. It is." he insisted when Lucky sent him a sharp glance. "She just doesn't know who Carly is."

Sighing, Sonny covered his mouth with his hand, formulating an explanation for what had happened. His eyes darted to the couch, his gut telling him that whatever had caused that woman to lose it had to do with Carly. His attention reverted to Lucky and then the stairs as he heard Carly approaching.

Lucky observed Sonny seeing that calculating expression that was such a part of Sonny and smiled despite his earlier attitude. "It's not hopeless then." He grinned, though it didn't quite reach his eyes, when Sonny's eyes met his, flashing with annoyance.

"When have you known anything that had to do with my wife being hopeless." Sonny stated, his tone biting.

Lucky nodded, the coldness that had enveloped his heart since that night thawing some. "Never."

"I don't care what your reasons are Barbara Jean. That man is not allowed anywhere near Carly. Not now. Not ever." Luke glared at his sister, hands clenched tightly inside his pockets. There was a thick silence after his comment and he pretended to study the numbers in the elevator as it ascended to the penthouse.

"He has more right then you do Luke."

The cut was quick and thorough as it was meant to be. Luke flinched visible, hiding the pain quickly, masking it with what he always did: anger."Since when?" Refusing to look at Bobbie, his gaze fused to the rising numbers. "He never loved her. Ever. Don't think he did Barbara Jean."

"And you did?" Bobbie snapped. Luke was hitting to close to her own thoughts. He always managed to try her patience. Especially when there was a chance he was right. "You've treated her like she was slime for years! What gives you the right now to say anything about this?"

Luke sneered. "Don't. No matter what happened between Caroline and myself, I've always loved her. From the moment I held squirming, complaining form in my hands."

"You've had a interesting way of showing it."

The doors opened, cutting off their argument instantly. They stepped out, both coming up short as they ran into a dark-clad figure. Bobbie smiled widely, trying to contain her delight. "You came!"

"Of course I did." Stefan ignored Luke's glare and held his arm out to Bobbie. "Shall we go in Barbara?"

"Let's." She giggled as she took his arm.

"Christ almighty, spare me." Luke slide by them, knocking loudly on the door. "Corinthos let me in before I blow chunks out here."

The door opened suddenly and Lucky grinned at his father. "Now why would you do that Dad?"

"Cowboy!" Luke rushed at his son, gathering him in a warm embrace. Lucky returned it and they stayed that way for some time. It felt good to be home again and Lucky wanted to enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

"Lucky!" Bobbie pushed his brother out of the way and gave her nephew a hug followed by an equally enthusiastic kiss. After releasing him, she brought her hand down on his arm. Hard. "Where the hell did you disappear to? Do you have any idea how worried we were? Sonny had people looking for you all over this state."

"I told Nikolas I was leaving. Didn't he tell anybody?"

"I don't think they found your 'I'll be fine. Don't worry about me.' satisfying, little brother."

Lucky looked beyond Stefan, who he noted with surprise seemed to be nervous, something he was sure he'd never seen the Count be, at his brother in the doorway. "How the heck are you little Prince?"

Nikolas grinned. "Much better now that I won't have half of Port Charles asking me where you are. Thanks for that by the way."

"Anytime."

Zander appeared behind Nikolas towing a laughing Emily, Shari and Juan in his wake. His eyes widened as he saw Lucky. "Spencer!" All four charged at him, distributing handshakes, hugs and kisses.

Carly watched from the stairs. This was her family. She could sense that. Maybe she couldn't remember it but she felt it. Sonny's arms embraced her from behind and she jumped slightly. He loosened his hold but she held his arms in place. "They look happy."

"They are. Mostly. You're here with all of us now."

Carly rolled her eyes. "Someone can't be that important Sonny. Not in so many lives."

"Trust me baby. You are." He kissed her forehead. "Come on. Let's go introduce you to your family."

"Elizabeth."

He watched her jump at the sound of his voice and turn to look at him, her blue eyes tinged with fear. He smiled at that. He liked that he scared her.

"How are you?" His smile was feral, predatory. He wanted to play and he wanted it to be her.

Elizabeth realized she was trapped. Something was wrong with Jason. She wasn't sure what or when but he wasn't the same man he once was. When he'd first come back, seeking revenge, she had thought...She wasn't sure what she had thought. She had been anger, alone and vulnerable.

That didn't excuse anything though. She had helped Jason cause all the tragedy he had. Perhaps she hadn't helped him pull the trigger but she hadn't stopped him.

She would pay for that. She knew it.

But if she could figure some way to stop him now, maybe, just maybe, she would have a chance to make up for what she had done.

"Hi Jason."

He grinned, his eyes remaining cold and lifeless. "Is that all you have to say? I've been calling for days now. Why didn't you answer any of my messages?" He came to her side, reaching under her chin to caress the exposed skin on her neck and shoulders. His other hand clamped onto one of her wrists, pressing hard. "You know I hate to be kept waiting." He was fairly certain he had lost Elizabeth sometime after the attacks. He had planned on killing her eventually. After he was done with her.

Elizabeth cringed, refusing to show her repulsion to his touch. She prayed she could fool him long enough to undo her mistakes. If that was even possible anymore. Taking a deep, silent breath, she turned into him, her hands snaking up his chest. "I know. I just wanted to make you beg."

Jason relaxed slightly as he brought his arms around her. "I'll show you begging..."

Alexis closed her apartment door firmly. The sounds of the party floated across to her and she smiled in spite of everything. It was nice to have Carly home. It normalized the world around her. She liked when things were as they should be.

Making sure her door was locked, she patted her pocket for her key and feeling it was there, she started the short walk to Sonny and Carly's house. The elevator doors opened and she paused to let whoever it was get off.

Johnny stepped through and her heart tripped over itself. He was so concentrated on the business at hand that he hadn't noticed her yet.

"No Benny. I think he needs to take care of it tonight. Send Max. He's been wanted more responsibility and he's proven that he can handle it. It has to be quick. We can't have anyone-"

"Um...I think you should stop there."

Johnny turned in surprise and stared at her for a moment. His eyes clouded over with anger. Alexis felt her defenses rise and prepared for what she was sure would be his accusations. "Benny, I'll call you back." He closed his phone, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her. "Is there a reason you're eavesdropping on my conversations, Counselor?"

Alexis leaned to one side, arms crossed, the earlier happiness she'd felt at seeing him vanishing. "Seeing as this is the floor where b **my /b **apartment happens to be I should be asking you if there was a reason **that **conversation couldn't have taken place somewhere else."

Johnny shook his head. "This isn't a joke Alexis. Whatever you overheard could..."

"Don't even say it. I work for Sonny. Did you forget that? I'm not stupid. I know how much I can hear and what I don't want to know. That was why I let b **you /b **know I was here."

Johnny ran shaking fingers through his already mussed hair. It had been a long day and he didn't have the resources it took to deal with Alexis. "Fine. Next time I'll make sure no one is listening."

"Fine."

She brushed past him, her perfume filling the air around him, and his hand reached out to touch her arm. Alexis halted, eyes closing at his touch. "Please let go."

"What if I can't." Johnny caressed her skin, moving his hand up her arm and pulling her closer. "I know I should. But, damn it...I miss you Alexis."

She pulled her arm away, anger washing away her want and need. He had no right to play with her the way he was. "You made your choice Johnny. You said we weren't meant to be anymore then we were." She wrapped her arms over herself. "I accepted that. I'm marrying Ned. That's the end of it." She reached for the door handle and froze at his next words.

"You'll never love him. Not the way you do me."

"Maybe not. But I can sure as hell try to." She entered the penthouse, leaving Johnny staring at the empty space where she had stood...


	9. Chapter 9: Revelations

**The Space Between **

_Chapter Nine: Revelations_

Felicia paused outside the half-opened door, looking intently at the figure lying motionless on the bed. She could sense the despair radiated from the room and she sighed, unsure on how to proceed at that moment. Her girls were still little and she hoped they would never have to deal with the situation that Gia was going through. She smiled down at Georgie and Maxie, who were clutching their presents in their hands, and she felt comforted when they grinned back at her. "You girls ready?"

"Yes Mom. We know what to do. Right Georgie?"

Her youngest simply smiled and nodded.

Felicia straightened her shoulders, bouncing into the dark room as she opened the door. "Hello there sunshine."

Gia turned her head, wiping at the moisture on her face and attempted a smile. One that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Well, hello. What is all this?" She glanced around the room, watching as Maxie opened her closed curtains, letting in some light. Georgie was climbing a chair in an attempt to put an arrangement of flowers in the empty vase on the hospital table. Gia looked at Felicia pulling out some Styrofoam plates from a huge paper bag, she had carried in.

"This is your very own cheering up party my dear." Felicia grinned her way, winking as she started to pull out Tupperware from inside the seemingly bottomless bag. "The girls wanted to see you. I guess they missed their babysitter.

Georgie climbed to Gia's side, kissing her cheek and handing her a folded piece of paper. "This is from all of us Gia. See." Her small finger pointed to a bunch of scribbles that lined the bottom of the page. "This one is Maxie…you can actually read it. And that's me. That one is Lulu and that crazy squiggly one is Michael."

Gia smiled, despite the welling in her eyes and kissed the little girls head gently. "Thank you Georgie. This is sweet." She pushed her body up to sit straighter, forcing the dark thoughts that were plaguing her mind away. She wanted to have a good time.

"Thank you too Miss Maxie. Come here and give me a hug." She reached out and squeezed the small child gently. Then looked up at Felicia. "Felicia…"

"It's okay kiddo. It's my pleasure. You know how much my girls and I love you. It's the least we could do. Right girls?"

"Right!"

"Yep!"

"Girls why don't you just help yourselves first and have a seat at the table while I catch up with Gia, okay?" She watched as they began to fill their plates with food before turning to her young friend. "How you holding up sweetie?"

Gia shrugged. "Not well I guess." She shook her head and pointed to her lifeless legs. "Crippled and all."

"You are not crippled Gia."

"Oh come on Felicia." Gia snapped, then sighed and lowering her voice, she continued. "I can't move my legs. I may never do so. What do you call that?"

"Self pity."

Gia looked away. "I'm entitled. I lost everything. My legs. Lucky."

"You sent Lucky away remember? He wanted to stay here with you."

Gia snorted. "Yeah. That's why he gave up so quickly."

"That's not fair Gia. He loves you. Spencers don't love easily and when they do, they don't stop either." Felicia glanced at her girls and then back at the desolate girl next to her. "At least you remember your life Gia. You remember loving Lucky and what that felt like for you. Your mind isn't a blank."

Felicia's words filled her with shame. Here she sat, moping while her friend couldn't even remember who she was. She couldn't even begin to imagine how scared and alone Carly must feel. In her heart, Gia knew her legs would one day work, that she would some day walk again. Even if her mind told her she was wrong, she had hope. Carly might never remember. Ever. "That was low Felicia."

"Whatever works kiddo."

The door burst open and Taggert ran in, stopping short at the sight before him. Felicia smiled at him as he froze in place.

"What's up Taggert."

"Felicia." He turned to the girls. "Hi there sweeties."

"Hey Taggert."

"Hello Taggert!"

He smiled as he watched them eat and then turned to his sister and his…friend?…partner…? "Um…I was wondering if I could have a minute with my sister?"

"Of course. Make sure she eats some of that." She pointed at the mound of food and then holding her hand out to her girls she said. "Come girls, we're gonna go get some dessert for Gia." She turned to Taggert and grinned. "Be right back partner."

Taggert stood staring at the door for a long time, that same disoriented feeling that was always there when he was near Felicia returning. Gia cleared her throat and he turned his attention to her, shaking images of blue eyes out of his head. "Hey. Sorry." He moved over to her side, bending to give her forehead a kiss. "How are you feeling baby?"

"Same. What the heck was that about?"

"What?"

"Felicia's your partner?"

"Oh. Long story. I don't want to go into it now. There's more important things to talk about."

"Like what for instance?" Gia smiled when Taggert took her hand. "What's going on big brother?"

"You're going home tomorrow."

Shocked, Gia stared at him in disbelief. "What? When did..?"

"The doctor just told me. They figure there's not much more they can do here for you. The swelling will go down on its own and until then, you can have outpatient therapy."

Conflicted about what she should be feeling, Gia simply nodded. She hated this place but at least here she wasn't the only sick person. She wasn't…different. "Well, um, it'll be nice to sleep in my own bed I guess." She smiled at her brother and tilting her head, she narrowed her eyes at him. "There's more, isn't there?"

"Yeah."

"What now? You win the lottery or something?" She giggled at his face but cut it short when his expression got serious. "What is it Marcus?"

"It's about Lucky."

Gia stilled, her breathing stopping as her brother voiced what she saw in his face.

"He's back, baby."

Lucas glanced around the crowded penthouse and smiled. He never understood how any of this people ever became friends. He glanced at his uncle and Stefan arguing in the corner. Okay, so not all of them were friends. But he still found it amusing the melting pot of different personalities and lives that stood around him. All here for his sister. He smiled at that and turning back to the chessboard, he moved his rook and seized Mike's queen. "Check mate."

"How did you…" Mike frowned at the board. "You're cheating."

Shari sat on the back of Lucas' chair and laughed. "Some say that board games are the instrument of the wicked."

Lucas laughed, stood and patted Mike on the shoulder. making his way over to the punch bowl. He shook his head hearing Mike complaining about "rigged games" and worked his way around the crowd, catching snatches of conversations as he passed.

"So we're walking in, right? And there is this picture, blow up picture over the bar…"

"…the weirdest stuff happening in this town, I mean only Port Charles would have talk of vampires…

"Come on Juan. Five bucks says it don't happen. No way that wedding goes off…"

"I told you already you weren't welcomed here. This family is none of your business

Cassadine."

Luke's angry voice caught his attention and Lucas paused, pretending to be observed in the painting on the wall above his head. His back was to his uncle and Stefan as they argued quietly.

"Caroline…"

"Ceased to be your concern when you walked away without looking back. Don't push me Stefan. You won't like what I do if you don't stop."

"Don't play protector Luke. You've tormented Caroline ever since she first came to town."

Lucas stood motionless waiting for Luke's retort only to be surprised by his response.

"I love Caroline, more then you or anyone else will ever understand. I was there when she was born. I was the first person to look at her beautiful face and I was the last person she saw before we had to give her away. It tore my heart out and for years I felt that loss, believe me."

Lucas sensed his uncle moving closer and strained to hear what was said when Luke lowered his voice to barely above a whisper.

"I will never forget what it was like to give up a piece of my heart. The shame in knowing I couldn't do right by my own family. And I will burn in hell before I let you turn that girl's life upside down just so you can ease your own conscience."

"She's my daughter Luke. It doesn't matter whether you like it or not. She is part of me. I have a right to be in her life."

"Like hell you do."

"What's going on over here?"

Lucas turned at his mothers voice, watching her approach the two men who from the looks of it where about to get into a fist fight. Forcing his feet to move, he passed by them quickly and sat on the stairs. His ears rang, flooded by everything he just head. He watched his sister across the room, smiling cautiously at Zander, and their eyes meet for a second.

Lucas rubbed his now throbbing head with his free hand while taking a gulp of warm soda as he did. His eyes drifted to Carly standing near her husband, smiling happily. What the hell was he supposed to do now?

"Okay Spencer. Spill"

Lucky turned from the view of the city to look at his best friend's worried face. He took a long sip from his glass, postponing the interrogation he knew was coming. "Nothing to spill, Emily." He nodded at Zander who stood behind Emily and received a sympathetic smile in return. "I needed some time alone to think things over. Now, I'm back."

"I see. What about the souvenir?"

Lucky shook his head, confusion on his face and when his questioning eyes meet Zander's, the other answered, "I think she meant the extra body you brought with you. You know, the girl." Zander pointed behind him, into the room filled with people.

"Vanessa? She's just-- she's a friend."

Emily snorted. "I bet."

"What the hell is that supposed mean?"

"Guys--"

Emily crossed her arms. "Forget about Gia already?" She flinched at her own words, seeing the hurt that crossed Lucky's face.

"You know what Emily? Last time I looked you weren't my mother so let it go."

"Are you serious?"

Lucky averted his gaze, sipping at the punch, wishing it was something stronger. He could have used the liquid courage right then. "Let it go, Emily."

"Let it go?! Let--what?…you disappear for weeks, no word except some stupid note you left for your brother…and now, you're here…with some strange woman none of us know! But hey I should just not ask questions, is that right?!" Emily felt Zander's hand on her arm and turned to him. He stroked her hair gently as he spoke over her shoulder at Lucky.

"You're right man, it's not any of our business." He stopped Emily's protest, giving her shoulder a squeeze and motioned to the door. "Baby, why don't you go check on Carly?" She took the hint and nodded, leaving them alone. Zander took a deep breath, surveying the view of the lighted city. It was peaceful up here, the sounds of the city, muted. He could see Lucky from his peripheral and waited patiently for him to start to talking.

Lucky pinched the bridge of his nose, attempting to relieve the headache that was gnawing in the back of his head. "Thanks man. I owe you one."

"Just one? I think you're indebted for life, pal. That girl would have kept you out here all night until she got what she wanted."

Lucky's face broke into a smile and he bowed slightly at his friend. "How can I ever pay you back, oh great one?"

"Money will do."

Lucky laughed, shaking his head. "I missed you guys."

"Yeah. Well, you could have called." Zander held up his hand to ward off any oncoming defense. "I'm not judging you man. You know I'd be the last one to. But we were all worried. Sonny had half his crew scouring the freaking country looking for you. Your Dad and Mom hired a PI. It would have helped if you had called once but--", he glanced over and shrugged, "you didn't. So nothing to be done. You're home. That's all that matters."

After a minute, Zander shivered and glanced over at Lucky. "Okay, dude. I'm all for brooding and all that but you think we can do this inside. It's damn cold."

"What? You can't take the cold? Mr. 'Running from the law' Smith?"

"Shut up Spencer."

"I think you're going soft, man."

"Dude." Lucky glanced at him as Zander pointed to the penthouse behind. "I live with Sonny and Carly." He gave Lucky a knowing look.

"Oh yeah." He clamped a hand on his friends shoulder and guided him inside. "You're so my hero, man"

Their laughter drifted into the room and Emily glanced up, seeing that smile on Lucky's face again, she forgot all the questions and worries for that moment. She walked over to them, kissing Zander soundly on the mouth before turning to Lucky and throwing her arms around his neck. She squeezed hard. "I'm sorry. I missed you and I'm glad you're back."

He returned the affection, kissing her temple softly. "I missed you too."

Emily nodded into his shoulder, sniffling quietly. Her best friend was home. That was all that mattered. For now.

Her eyes drifted over once more to the two people in the middle of the room. They stood together, hands touching and she watched her head lean against his shoulder as she laughed at some joke. Vanessa shook her head, her eyes shifting between the door and her hosts. She needed to get out of here. This was not the place to be. If anyone found her here…

They'd find Caroline.

That couldn't happen.

She placed her glass on a nearby table and slowly made her way to the door. Pausing to grab her coat and purse, she felt a presence behind her and jumped, whirling around to face the person. Her eyes meet deep dark ones and she smiled nervously. "You scared me."

Nikolas smiled. "I tend to do that."

"Oh no. I meant-- I wasn't expecting you there."

"I see that you are leaving." He motioned to her things and she glanced down. "Will my brother be going with you?"

She looked up at him, confused. "Your brother?"

"Yes. Lucky."

She gapped at him for a moment before recovering. "_You're _Lucky's brother?"

"Yes, I am."

"The Prince guy?"

Nikolas choked back a laugh though his eyes shined with amusement and his voice betrayed his control. "Yes. I am-- the Prince guy."

"Wow. Well, you're definitely not what I had expected."

"I beg your pardon?"

Vanessa leaned against the edge of the desk behind her and took in the hunk before her. "I mean, I figured you'd be --"

"Older?"

"Uglier."

Nikolas laughed at her honesty. "That was unexpected. Did my brother describe me as unattractive?"

"Not at all. I just-- well for one you don't look like Lucky-- why don't you look like Lucky?"

"We have different fathers."

"Oh. That makes sense."

"Is my brother unattractive then?"

"What?! NO."

Nikolas chuckled. "You seemed to think I was going to be so perhaps you thought I would resemble my brother."

"Well no. It's true that most of the times if one brother is gorgeous, which Lucky is, the other tends to be plainer."

"I see. That is not the case this time then?"

Vanessa snorted. "Um…no."

They stood in silence for a moment.

"What is the other reason?"

Vanessa blinked and stared at him.

"You said 'well for one…', what is the other reason that you believed I would be ugly as you put it?"

"Oh. Right. Well…it's just plain mathematics."

It was Nikolas' turn to stare at her blankly.

"Think about it, what are the chances a girl will meet a real life prince? And what are the chances that if she does, he'll be a hottie?" She sighed, shaking her head at him. "Apparently I need to rethink that whole concept."

Chuckling, he nodded at the door. "Would you consider staying? My brother seems to enjoy your company and I'd like him to stay around."

Her eyebrow rose and she smiled slowly. "I was planning on moving on. Besides, I don't even know your whole name. Why would I consider anything?"

He laughed again and offered his hand. "Well, perhaps we should make proper introductions then. Hello, I'm Prince Nikolas Cassadine. Everyone calls me Nik. It's a pleasure making your acquaintance."

She took his hands, sparks shooting up her arm. That wasn't a good sign. "Nice to meant you Prince. My name is Vanessa. No one calls me Nessa. Now, about this prince thing…"

Lucas took a swig of the beer he'd sneaked out of the kitchen. His mind reeled from his earlier discovery and he needed to numb his panic some. He had to tell Carly. He knew that. He also knew that now wasn't the time. She needed to remember before he made a revelation this big.

"I think you're a bit young for that."

Lucas turned to see Alexis behind him and smiled ruefully. "Don't rat me out. I'm only having one.' He took another sip as he muttered, "I deserve this one."

Alexis wrapped an arm around his shoulder, concern sketched on her face. "What's going on?"

He sighed, shaking his head and handing her the half-empty can, sitting down. "Nothing. I'm just worried I guess."

"About Carly."

Lucas nodded. "She's got a lot on her plate."

Alexis smiled, taking the seat next to his own and pushed her shoulder into his, and waited until his eyes met hers. "You're sister is strong. She can take anything."

"I hope so."

"Besides, she's got Sonny. He loves her. I've never seen anything like what they have. Whatever comes…they'll pull through."

Their eyes drifted over to where Sonny stood, his eyes on his wife as she spoke. "His gone, isn't he?"

Alexis laughed. "Completely." Sighing, her own gaze drifted to Johnny, watching his smile turn into a laugh. "That's something I've never…"

Lucas glanced at her. "What?"

"Nothing."

Alexis caught his sad, understanding smile and her heart broke at his words. "Love doesn't come in the shape you expect. Believe me. I know."

There was a secret there she could tell, some long held pain and fear. An idea sparked in her mind, and she stared at the wonderful, sweet boy next to her, seeing him more clearly then she ever had before. Whatever it was, he wasn't ready to talk so she took his hand, squeezing it gently, then returning her gaze to the crowd inside. "Life sucks."

"Ain't that the truth."

"You guys are the sorriest, saddest bunch I've ever seen."

Juan and Shari walked around behind them, smiling sadly in their direction.

"You said it." They turned to see Mike next to them. "Thing is, the two of you still have a chance." Taking the seat on the armchair, he paused, staring over at his son before turning back to them. "You only get one chance to do it right. Make the right choice. If you don't you'll spend the rest of your life regretting it."

Juan felt Shari tense, her eyes stuck on Mike and he felt that uneasiness return. Her eyes seemed riveted to the older man's face.

Mike looked down at his hand, playing with the well-worn gold ring on his finger before showing it to Alexis, tears glistening in his eyes. "Adella gave me this ring on our first anniversary. We hadn't been able to afford any expensive ones when we got married so we had kept a promise to buy each other one after a year." He paused, his face twisted into disgust and a mirthless laugh escaped. "I gambled my money away the day before our anniversary. She didn't care though. She loved me enough to forgive anything."

He looked up at the group before, almost reeling away at the pity on their faces. Except for Shari. His eyes stayed on her angry face and something in it felt familiar. He forced his eyes away, looking into nothing. "Everyday I wish I had made different choices."

"Did you love her, Mike?"

He brought his eyes to met Alexis'. "I still love her." The sound of glass hitting the ground brought his eyes back to the young girl next to Juan. She backed away, mumbling an excuse as she ran up the stairs and Mike's eyes followed Juan as he chased after her…

"Shari."

"Go away, please.

"No." Juan gripped her arm, twisting her to face him and seeing the tears in her eyes, he pulled her into a hug. She squirmed in his embrace at first but slowly she allowed his warmth to comfort her, wrapping her arms around his back.

"I'm sorry."

Juan shushed her, pulling away and kissing her forehead. "It's okay. I'm getting used to your weird outbursts that make no sense. It's part of what make me love you."

Shari bit on her upper lip, a habit Juan knew came from nerves, and pushed her hair away from her forehead. "I need to tell you something. But not here."

Juan studied her serious face and believing her tone, gripped her hand, and started down the stairs. "Then we're going home so you can tell me."

"So Mrs. Corinthos, still nervous?" Sonny wrapped his arm around his wife's waist, moving her away from the center of the room and toward a quiet corner where he could have her to himself.

She smiled widely, brushing a few curls away from his forehead. "I'm having a very good time, Sonny. Thank you for doing this."

His eyes studied her face when she turned to look out over the crowd. "I guess you were right."

"Hmm?"

"I guess I am important to these people."

He pulled her close, their bodies touching and Carly felt sparks shooting through her body when one of his hands caressed her back possessively. Her eyes met his, breath catching in her throat at potent desire there. She licked her lips, his eyes following her motion and she caught what sounded like a growl emanate from him.

Sonny grabbed the back of her head, flicking his eyes to hers before plunging his mouth on hers. Her body felt afire, trembling want rising and untangling through her, her mouth clutching onto his. Her mouth opened slightly and she tasted his need, letting it overtake her senses. Hands reaching for buttons and she fumbled as he pulled away, taking a step back.

She reeled from the sudden lack of him and stared at his stony face. Panicked she wondered what she had done to make him angry. "I'm sorry." She turned away, walking quickly into the crowd, hearing him call out to her. She needed to get out that place. She couldn't take his rejection. Not when all she wanted was to touch him, to feel him…to be the wife he loved.

"Carly."

He caught up to her, holding her from behind. "Stop. It's not what you think."

"It's okay. I understand. I'm not your wife."

"Damn it to hell. You are my wife." He whirled her around to face him. "I love you."

Before she could respond, they heard a startled cry and suddenly the entire room erupted into laughter and talking. Carly looked in the direction of the door, watching as everyone started to crowd around. She glanced at Sonny. "You better go see what's going on."

"Forget about that." He waved at the door, his eyes never straying from hers.

She shook her head, taking a step back when her eyes fell on the reason for the commotion.

"Jason." She heard Sonny say as he moved toward the crowd and her gaze remained on the figure surrounded by her family and friends.

A man stood out in the crowd, short trimmed blond hair and cold blue eyes that stared at her from across the room. She couldn't breathe, her heart racing, and she held a hand to her chest. Something was wrong. She saw Sonny greet the stranger, holding him tightly in a hug. Images flew across her mind…blood and pain…that night…something about that night…

Sonny turned toward her, a smile spreading across his face.

Sharp pain shot through her brain and she stumbled backwards, bending slightly from the ache that raced through her. She could feel the cold night around her…feel the sharp blade against her skin…taster her fear.

"Carly."

Sonny's voice was hollow, like an echo from a deep cave. He motioned to her, his hand stopping in the air, his face falling as he looked at her.

The stranger smiled and his voice, hollowed and deep, reached her. "Hello Carly."

Her cousin was at her side and he took her arm. "Carly, it's Jason." He started to pull her over and her mind suddenly raced with images. She bent, holding her head and screaming, "No. Don't! Get away from me!"

Her eyes closed….her world tilted…sharp cold pain burst in her chest and her hand covered it, gripping her shirt…she tried to breath…choking with fear…

Lucky felt a twinge in his mind as…something was wrong…but he held onto Carly…moving only when Sonny came to her.

"Baby…"

"Oh god." She flailed, reaching for him…if she could hold onto Sonny…she could make it through this.

"Carly…baby…" Carly fell against him and he held onto her, fear lacing his voice when he screamed behind him. "Someone call an ambulance!"

She felt Sonny's hands on her waist…his breath on her face and she gripped at his shoulders, whispering in his ear before losing herself in the pain and darkness.

"Don't let him hurt me."


End file.
